Columbia  <Hntoer$itj> 

THE  LIBRARIES 


Bequest  of 

Frederic  Bancroft 

1860-1945 


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LIFE  AND  LABORS 


Rev.    Reuben    Gaylord 


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Copyrighted,  1889,  by  Maky  W.  Gayloed. 


DEDICATION. 

to  his  personal  friends,  to  the  surviving 

members  of  his  college  class,  to 

the  churches  of  iowa 

and  nebraska,  to  his  brethren 

in  the  ministry, 

to  his  children,  and  to  the 

city   of   omaha    whose    highest    prosperity 

he  so  earnestly  sought, 

this  memoir  is  respectfully  dedicated 

by  The  Author. 


NOTE. 

The  commencement  of  these  Memoirs  dates  back  to  the 
second  year  after  Mr.  Gay  lord's  decease.  When  much  pre- 
paratory work  had  been  done,  two  seasons  of  long  and  severe 
illness  discouraged  the  writer,  and  the  undertaking  was  prac- 
tically abandoned.  But  in  the  summer  of  1887  eastern  friends 
expressed  so  strong  a  desire  for  such  a  Memorial,  that  a 
promise  was  made  to  resume  the  work  as  soon  as  circumstances 
would  permit.  This  book  now  given  to  the  public  is  the 
fulfillment  of  that  promise. 

The  author  wishes  to  acknowledge  her  obligations  to 
various  friends  for  valuable  aid  in  the  preparation  of  this 
volume. 


CONTENTS 


Introduction. 


PAGE 
1 


CHAPTER  I. 

Early   Days. 

1812—1830. 
Norfolk.  Ancestiy.  Parents.  School  Days.  Second 
Home.  Pond  Hill  School  House.  Loon  Meadow. 
Reminiscences.  Home  Life.  Temperance  Reform. 
Conversion.  Preparation  for  College.  Rev.  Ralph 
Emerson 7 

CHAPTER     II. 

College  Life. 

1830—1834. 

Infancy  of  Railroads.  Ride  to  New  Haven.  Examina- 
tion. Hazing.  Scholarship.  Revival  of  1831. 
Tutor  Pettingell.  Rev.  Joseph  Eldridge.  Gradua- 
tion.    Invitation  to  Illinois   College 25 

CHAPTER   III. 

Teaching  and  Journeying. 

1834—1837. 

New  Preston.  Going  West.  Illinois  in  Early  Days. 
Founding  of  Illinois  College.  Rev.  Theron  Bald- 
win. Jacksonville.  Work  as  Tutor.  Vacation 
Trips.  Engagement.  Letters.  Study  of  Theology. 
Redeeming  the  Time.  More  Work.  Horseback  Ride 
to  Connecticut.  Springfield,  111.,  Indianapolis,  Colum- 
bus, O.,  Central  New  York,  and  Albany  in  1837. 
Arrival  at   Home • 37 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   IV. 

Yale  Seminary. 
1837—1838. 

.      PAGE 

Return  to  New  Haven.  Theological  Studies.  Letters  to 
Miss  Burton.  Dr.  Taylor.  Anti-Slavery  Meetings. 
Interesting  Exercises  at  the  Second  Centennial  of  New 
Haven  Colony.  Licensed  to  Preach.  Preaching  at 
New  Preston .  Iowa  Educational  Association .  Names 
of  Members.  Commission  from  A.  H.  M.  S.  for 
Henry  County,  Iowa.  Ordination.  Leaving  Home. 
Journey  to  Iowa 75 

CHAPTER  V. 
Iowa  . 

1838—1843. 
Black  Hawk  War.  First  Settlement.  Marriage.  Mt. 
Pleasant.  Work.  Organization  of  Churches  at 
Danville,  Fairfield,  Farmington,  Brighton,  Washing- 
ton and  Mt.  Pleasant.  Removal  to  Danville.  Flint 
Creek.  Abner  Kneeland.  Death  of  Mrs.  Gay  lord. 
Congregational  Association  of  Iowa.  Visit  to  the 
East.  Journeying.  Two  Trips  to  Davenport.  Ap- 
peal for  Help.  Second  Marriage.  Log  Cabin  Life. 
A  Prairie  Fire.     Pioneer  Experiences.     Funerals....     97 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Life  in  Danville. 
1843—1855. 
Andover    Band.      Meeting   in    Denmark.      Iowa  College. 
Installation.    Bereavement.    Church  Building.    Dedi- 
cation.    Letters  to  Mrs.  Gay  lord.     Trustee  Meetings 
in    Davenport.      Contributions  to  Foreign  Missions. 
Weddings.      A  Visit  East.      Select   School.      Oregon 
Emigration.     Fruitage.      In    Labors  Abundant.     Re- 
vivals.     Congregationalism  in  Iowa.     Cases  of  Con- 
version.      Church     Self     Supporting.       Journey    to 
Nebraska.     Invitation  to  Omaha.     Farewell  Sermon . .    127 


CONTENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER   VII. 

Nebraska. 
1855—1859. 

PAOE 

Kansas-Nebraska  Bill.  Nebraska.  An  Appeal  for  a  man. 
Removal  to  Omaha.  Cold  and  Privation.  Sickness 
and  Death.  Organization  of  Churches  at  Omaha, 
Fontanelle  and  Other  Places.  Church  Building.  Mrs. 
Gay  lord's  Visit  East.  Letters.  Hard  Times.  Visit 
to  Danville.  From  Danville  to  Omaha  Again .  Gold 
Excitement 173 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

A  Growing  Field. 
1859—1864. 
Church  Organization.  Pike's  Peak  Excitement.  Emigra- 
tion. A  Journey  East  to  Secure  Funds  for  Fontanelle 
College.  St.  Joseph.  Quincy.  Illinois  Association. 
New  York  City.  Henry  Ward  Beecher.  Large 
Sympathy  but  Little  Money.  Commencement  at  New 
Haven.  Class  Meeting.  A  Cold  Summer.  Return 
Home.  An  Anniversary .  The  War.  Nebraska  Troops. 
Bus}'  Days.  "Home  Missionary  Box."  The  Bell. 
Organization  of  Church  at  Nebraska  City.  Donation 
Party.     Union  Pacific  Railroad 211 

CHAPTER   IX. 
Home  Missionary  Superintendent. 
1864—1870. 
Needed  Rest .    Appointment  as  ' '  Agent "  of  the  A .  II .  M .  S . 
Bushwhackers.      Omaha  Pastors.      Revival  at  Glen- 
wood.     Delegate  to  National  Council.     Explorations. 
Organization    of    Churches   at   Greenwood,   Oakfield, 
Bartlett,  Camp  Creek,  Columbus,  Schuyler,  Elkhorn, 
and  Milford.      Omaha  off  the  List.      Sunday  School 
Work.      Resignation.      Trip  to  Utah.      Touring    in 
Colorado 263 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    X. 

Closing  Years. 
1870—1880. 

PAGE 

Work  at  LaPlatte,  Irvington,  Papillion  and  Other  Points. 
Dr.  Badger's  Death.  Fontanelle.  Twentieth  Anni- 
versary  of  Omaha  Church.  A  Night  Walk.  Reports 
of  Labor.  A  Lost  Child.  Removal  to  Fontanelle. 
Gov.  and  Mrs.  Richardson.  Col.  Kline.  Omaha 
Sunday  School  Anniversary .  Jalapa .  Home  Mission- 
ary Contributions.  Death  of  a  Sister.  A  Visit  in 
Iowa.     Last  Weeks.     Fallen  in  His  Armor 319 

CHAPTER   XI. 
In  Memoriam. 

1880. 
Funeral  Services.     Memorial  Services.     Interesting  Testi- 
monials and  Reminiscences  from  Numerous  Friends..   355 

CHAPTER   XII. 

Gleanings  and  Incidents. 
1812—1880. 
Mr.  Ga}dord  as  a  Sermonizer.  Funeral  Sermon  of  L.  S. 
Jaggar.  Characteristics.  Incidents.  Thoughts  and 
Sayings.  Memorial  Sermon,  March  20,  1870.  Letter 
to  Denmark  Association.  Memorial  Sermon,  May  7, 
1876.  Funeral  Seraion  of  Col.  William  Kline.  Last 
Sermon,  January  4,  1880.  Nebraska.  Education. 
Fontanelle  College.     Norfolk.     Miscellaneous 387 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  narrative  of  Mr.  Gaylord's  life  and  labors  will  be 
given,  as  far  as  practicable,  from  his  own  writings,  and  will 
consist  of  somewhat  copious  extracts  from  a  journal,  embrac- 
ing a  period  of  time  from  1837  to  1844,  and  also  letters 
written  by  him  to  various  friends,  and  to  the  American 
Home  Missionary  Society,  which  have  been  preserved, 
extending  through  many  years.  His  numerous  letters  to 
his  mother,  toward  whom  he  ever  cherished  the  tenderest 
regard,  have  not  been  found ;  and  this  will  make  a  vacancy 
which  cannot  be  supplied.  Letters  are  often  journals,  telling 
what  the  writer  and  those  around  him  are  doing,  and  giving 
a  narrative  of  interesting  events,  which  are  taking  place  in 
the  world.  Some  incidents  will  be  related  for  the  sake  of 
the  children  and  grand-children  of  the  deceased,  which 
may  not  be  of  much  interest  to  the  general  reader. 

New  England,  once  the  asylum  and  the  home  of  saints 
and  heroes,  was  the  birthplace  of  Mr.  Gaylord.  It  was  the 
garden  of  the  Bible,  where  its  truths  were  planted  deeply 
and  in  such  congenial  soil  that  they  grew  most  luxuriantly, 
and  yielded  those  wholesome  fruits  which  are  necessary  to 
promote  true  spiritual  life  and  growth  in  the  human  soul. 
As  the  years  have  grown  to  centuries,  the  sharp  sickles  of 
error  and  unbelief  have  lopped  off  some  of  the  branches, 
but  the  plants  still  live.  Most  of  her  Christian  men  and 
women,  who  have  been  transplanted  to  other  climes  as  home 
or  foreign  missionaries  or  business  men,  have  maintained 
the  true  "  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints."  They  have 
held  fast  to  the  plain,  strong,  Scriptural  doctrines,  "  which 
are  able  to  make  men  wise  unto  salvation,"  with  greater 
tenacity  than  some  of  their  New  England  brethren  are 
doing  at  the  present  day.  But  there  is  still  a  great  vitality 
in  the  religious  life  of  this  grand  and  beloved  New  England ; 


A  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

and  the  millennium  is  coming.  Then,  we  believe  that  she 
and  her  Christian  children,  scattered  over  the  face  of  the 
earth,  will  be  in  the  vanguard — leading  the  Lord's  armies 
on  to  certain  conquest  for  Christ. 

It  is  thought  best  to  make  the  book  considerably  smaller 
than  the  original  plan.  A  few  friends  requested  that  a 
portion  of  his  sermons  might  be  published,  but  lest  it 
should  make  the  work  too  voluminous,  all  will  be  omitted, 
except  two  or  three  given  on  special  occasions.  These, 
together  with  other  incidental  matters  of  interest  will  con- 
stitute the  closing  chapter  of  the  book. 

We  do  not  think  that  too  many  biographies  of  good 
men  and  women  have  been  given  to  the  world.  Whatever 
is  good  and  praiseworthy  in  such  lives,  when  spread  out 
upon  the  printed  page,  forms  an  object  lesson,  from  which 
can  be  learned  those  great  and  needful  moral  truths,  that 
sometimes  look  so  attractive  to  the  beholder  as  to  inspire 
him  with  a  desire  to  engraft  them  into  his  own  character. 
When  this  is  done,  that  character,  guided  by  help  from 
above,  ceases  to  yield  the  bitter  and  unwholesome  fruit  of 
worldliness  and  wrong-doing,  and  instead  thereof  brings 
forth  fruit  unto  God,  perhaps  an  hundred  fold.  Then,  the 
untiring  industry,  the  self-denial,  the  devotion  to  the  best 
interests  of  humanity,  patience  in  the  midst  of  trials — 
sometimes  mixed  with  impatience  and  discouragement — 
form  a  picture  worthy  of  careful  study.  He  who  looks  at 
this  side  of  the  picture  can  see  that,  while  the  setting  of  it 
is  by  the  Great  Artist,  in  the  filling  up  are  some  human 
imperfections,  which  he  will  learn  how  to  avoid. 

The  biography  of  a  good  man  brings  us  into  a  more 
intimate  acquaintance  with  his  true  character  than  we  could 
gain  in  any  other  way.  In  our  personal  knowledge  we  see 
much  of  the  surface  and  little  of  the  inner  life.  We  cannot 
know  his  purity  of  motive,  consequently  he  is  often 
misjudged. 

Biography  has  been  called  "the  soul  of  history,"  and 


INTRODUCTION.  6 

there  is  surely  much  valuable  history  contained  in  the 
record  of  a  long  life.  It  tells  of  what  is  new  and  interesting 
in  the  generation  in  which  he  lived,  and  relates  important 
incidents,  which  might  otherwise  have  been  overlooked  or 
forgotten.  Each  generation  has  its  own  experiences,  differing 
from  those  before  it,  but  showing  always,  we  believe,  progress 
toward  the  right;  and  that  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  though 
advancing  slowly,  is  surely  coming,  and  earth  is  reaching 
upward  to  take  hold  on  heaven. 

The  Bible  is  full  of  biographies,  truthful  because 
inspired.  The  one  of  the  Divine  and  human  Christ,  the 
only  perfect  Being,  often  causes  regret  for  its  brief  account 
of  all  those  early  years  of  childhood  and  youth.  At  the 
same  time  we  experience  a  tender  and  holy  joy,  that  so  much 
is  given  us  to  know  of  the  pure  life  and  blessed  example, 
the  self-abnegation  and  final  sacrifice  of  Him,  after  whom 
the  lives  of  all  good  men  and  women  have  been  modeled, 
and  will  be  to  the  end  of  time. 

The  design  in  writing  this  book  is  to  preserve  a  record 
of  an  earnest  and  faithful  minister  of  Christ,  who  for  forty- 
one  years  tried  to  preach  a  pure  gospel ;  also  to  give  a  brief 
history  of  planting  churches  of  Congregational  faith  and 
polity  in  the  two  states  of  Iowa  and  Nebraska.  Mr.  Gaylord 
was  the  second  to  lay  these  foundations  in  the  then  new 
Territory  of  Iowa.  Rev.  Asa  Turner  was  first,  coming  to 
Denmark  from  Quincy,  Illinois,  in  May,  1838.  Mr.  Gaylord 
•came  direct  from  Yale  Theological  Seminary  in  the  follow- 
ing autumn,  and  commenced  his  labors  in  Mt.  Pleasant, 
Iowa,  December  1,  1838.  Within  a  few  weeks  Danville, 
sixteen  miles  further  east,  was  united  to  his  field,  and  being 
•solicited  by  that  people  to  live  among  them,  he  removed 
there  in  October,  1839.  Besides  doing  much  general  mis- 
sionary work,  he  continued  to  care  for  both  these  places, 
preaching  at  Mt.  Pleasant  on  alternate  Sabbaths  until 
November,  1843.  Then  Rev.  Ephraim  Adams  of  the 
Andover  Band,  was  assigned  to  that  part  of  the  field.     In 


4  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

the  spring  of  1844  Mr.  Gay  lord  was  installed  as  pastor  of 
the  church  at  Danville,  and  ministered  to  them  in  that 
capacity  until  November,  1855.  Having  received  a  call 
from  Omaha,  Nebraska,  which  he  felt  to  be  also  a  call  from 
God,  he  asked  for  a  dismission  from  his  beloved  people,  and 
after  an  overland  journey  of  much  hardship,  arrived  in 
Omaha  with  his  family  on  Christmas  day,  1855.  Nebraska 
Territory  was  then  in  its  early  infancy,  and  he  was  again  a 
pioneer,  being  the  first  Congregational  minister,  and  for  some 
time  the  only  one.  Here,  after  twenty-five  years  of  unceas- 
ing labor,  during  which  "the  wilderness  began  to  rejoice 
and  blossom  as  the  rose,"  he  was  stricken  down  in  the 
midst  of  his  work  and  called  home  to  his  reward. 


r. 


EARLY    DAYS 


1812-1830. 


Around,  the  wooded  hills  in  beauty  rise  ! 

Earth  hath  not  many  scenes  more  fair  than  this, 

And  none  more  dear  to  those  who  call  it  home  ! 

— Selected. 

The  tremulous  gleams  of  early  days, 
The  first  faint  thrills  of  love  and  praise, 
And  God's  light,  resting  on  all. 

— Havergal. 

The  life  of  a  Christian  youth  is  laid  in  the  loom  of  time  to  a  pattern 
he  does  not  see,  but  God  does. — Selected. 

"He  shall  choose  our  inheritance  for  us." 

"As  long  as  he  liveth  he  shall  be  lent  unto  the  Lord." 

"  So  He  bringeth  them  into  their  desired  haven." 


CHAPTER  I. 

Early  Days. 

Norfolk — Ancestry — Parents— School  Days — Second  Home — Pond 
School-House  —  Loon  Meadow  —  Reminiscences  —  Home  Ltfe — 
Temperance  Reform — Conversion — Preparation  for  College — 
Rev.  Ralph  Emerson. 

THE  rocky  and  picturesque  town  of  Norfolk,  Connecticut, 
forms  a  part  of  the  northern  boundary  of  the  state,  and 
is  one  of  the  most  elevated  portions  of  the  hilly  and  pictur- 
esque county  of  Litchfield.  From  the  forests  and  glens  of 
this  county,  have  gone  forth,  at  various  times  within  the 
last  century,  many  Christian  men  and  women  as  ministers 
and  missionaries,  or  to  engage  in  industrial  occupations, 
whose  good  influence  cannot  be  estimated.  For  they  carried 
with  them  the  good  seed  of  the  gospel,  which,  planted  in 
faith  and  love,  is  sure  to  take  root,  and  sooner  or  later  yield 
rich  spiritual  harvests.  We  find  in  the  early  history  of 
Norfolk  that  it  seemed  like  a  dreary  wilderness.  The  win- 
ters were  long  and  severe,  with  heavy  falls  of  snow  which 
often  remained  on  the  ground  till  the  month  of  April. 
This,  with  the  wild  and  barren  aspect  of  all  the  region,  and 
the  apparent  sterility  of  the  soil,  at  first  deterred  some 
whose  occupation  was  cultivating  the  earth,  from  making 
their  homes  here.  But  how  often  we  find  in  the  kingdom 
of  nature  and  art,  and  we  may  add  of  grace  also,  that  what 
is  both  beautiful  and  valuable,  is  at  first  hidden  from  our 
sight !  Thus  it  was  with  this  wild  and  uncultivated  tract 
of  land.  For,  as  the  years  rolled  on,  it  was  found  to  possess 
attractions  not  noticed,  or  sufficiently  prized,  in  its  earliest 
settlement.  Green  woods — green  in  winter  as  well  as  in 
summer — with  a  variety  of  choice  and  beautiful  evergreens, 
valuable  timber,  meadows  and  small  lakes,  living  springs, 


8  LIFE   OF   REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

agreeable  scenery  and  a  pure  atmosphere,  in  time  drew 
together  a  class  of  men  and  women  of  true  courage,  intel- 
lectual ability  and  earnest  piety,  equal  to  other  hardy  and 
intelligent  sons  and  daughters  of  Puritan  New  England. 
Years  of  patient  toil  brought  wealth  to  a  few,  and  pleasant 
homes  to  many.  A  competency  gained  by  daily  industry 
and  upright  dealing,  is  that  which  endures.  Its  foundation 
is  the  moral  principle  of  right.  And  as  God  is  on  the  side 
of  right  his  blessing  may  be  expected.  Such  riches  do  not 
often  "  take  to  themselves  wings  and  fly  away."  Some 
descendants  of  those  who  acquired  this  wealth,  are  now 
living,  and  having  added  more,  disburse  from  it  freely  for 
every  good  cause.  But  many  of  those  who  did  not  grow 
rich,  secured  comfortable  homes,  where,  often  through  much 
privation  and  self-denial,  their  children  were  trained  to  fill 
honorable  positions  in  various  spheres  of  usefulness. 

In  a  modest,  unpretending  farm-house  on  a  hillside  not 
far  from  the  summit,  lived  Reuben  and  Mary  Gaylord,  the 
father  and  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir.  Into  this 
household  on  the  28th  of  April,  1812,  a  son  was  born,  who 
was  the  youngest  but  one  of  eight  children,  and  was  given 
his  father's  name,  Reuben. 

Of  his  ancestry  we  have  this  record :  Mr.  William  Gay- 
lord,  a  descendant  of  Huguenot  refugees  from  Normandy 
in  France,  to  England,  removed  from  Devonshire,  England, 
to  Dorchester,  Massachusetts,  with  his  family  of  four  sons 
and  one  daughter  in  1630. 

The  grandson  of  the  fifth  generation,  Timothy  Gaylord, 
married  Lydia  Thompson,  of  Goshen,  and  settled  in  Norfolk, 
Connecticut,  where  he  died  September  9,  1825,  at  the  age  of 
ninety  years  and  four  months.  Their  son,  Reuben,  married 
Mary  Curtis.  They  were  the  Reuben  and  Mary  Gaylord 
mentioned  above — the  parents  of  him  whose  life  became 
interwoven  with  so  large  a  part  of  the  states  of  Iowa  and 
Nebraska. 

These  parents  were  earnest,  consistent  Christians,  and 


ANCESTRY.  9 

naturally  it  was  their  first  desire  to  teach  their  children 
what  they  believed,  both  by  precept  and  the  influence  of 
their  daily  lives.  The  good  old  Puritan  custom  of  reading 
the  Bible  in  regular  order,  in  the  daily  family  worship,  with 
the  children  present,  was  faithfully  carried  out.  Would 
that  this  practice  might  be  universal  at  the  present  day ! 
For  a  knowledge  of  the  whole  word  of  God  would  thus  be 
acquired,  which  cannot  be  gained  in  any  other  way. 

A  favorite  niece,  only  six  years  younger,  and  a  daughter 
of  Mr.  Timothy  Gaylord,  the  eldest  son  of  the  family,  thus 
writes  respecting  this  period : 

The  early  home  was  situated  near  the  top  of  one  of  our 
numerous  hills,  bleak  in  winter,  but  commanding  an  extensive 
view,  and  fanned  in  summer  by  healthful  breezes.  With  its 
broad  circuit  of  vision  and  clear  atmosphere,  the  rising  and 
setting  sun  must  have  had  a  splendor  unknown  in  many  other 
localities,  and  at  night  the  star-spangled  sky  have  been  glorious 
to  behold.  At  the  time  my  mother  became  a  member  of  the  fam- 
ily, Uncle  Reuben  was  a  little  child  of  five  years,  and  I  have 
heard  her  speak  of  his  love  for  study  even  then.  In  the  room  of 
his  aged  grandfather,  who  from  deafness  was  not  at  all  annoyed 
by  his  incipient  eloquence,  he  conned  his  lessons,  and  practiced 
elocution  to  the  accompaniment  of  an  older  sister's  spinning 
wheel.  My  own  remembrance  of  him  is  as  a  playmate  and 
protector,  and  of  his  taking  me  to  school,  and  performing  many 
little  acts  of  kindness.  I  have  no  recollection  of  those  boyish 
annoyances,  to  which  many  little  ones  are  subjected.  He 
seemed  to  me  like  a  kind  and  thoughtful  older  brother.  Later 
on  I  remember  him  leading  the  young  people's  prayer-meetings, 
and  have  not  forgotten  the  zeal  and  fervor  with  which  he  and 
a  young  friend  and  cousin  engaged  in  religious  duties,  and  their 
seasons  of  prayer  together  while  at  work  about  the  farm. 

This  orphan  friend  afterward  fell  a  victim  to  consump- 
tion. The  father  of  this  family  was  industrious,  conscien- 
tious, strict  in  family  discipline,  but  kind  and  benevolent, 
firm  for  the  right,  and  of   marked  decision  of  character. 


10  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

This  last  trait  was  strikingly  manifested  by  his  giving  up 
tobacco  from  principle,  when  sixty  years  of  age.  Mr. 
Gaylord  lived  beyond  the  allotted  period  of  "three  score 
and  ten  "  and  passed  away  September  18, 1843,  aged  seventy- 
three  years.  In  those  days  a  letter  was  often  three  weeks 
on  its  journey  from  Connecticut  to  Iowa,  and  the  deep 
sorrow  of  the  son,  when  he  received  this  intelligence,  was 
aggravated  by  the  thought  that  his  father  had  been  so  long 
in  the  grave  before  he  heard  of  his  illness  or  death.  Then, 
no  telegraphic  message  spoke  to  distant  friends,  giving 
either  sad  or  joyful  news  from  loved  ones. 

The  mother,  Mary  Curtis  Gaylord,  was  a  woman  of 
sincere  and  unobtrusive  piety.  She  possessed  an  attractive 
countenance,  a  kind  heart,  going  out  in  sympathy  and 
helpfulness  for  others,  and  was  much  beloved  in  the  com- 
munity as  well  as  in  her  own  family.  During  all  the  long 
years  of  toil  which  fell  to  her  lot,  her  piety  shone  with  a 
clear  and  steady  light.  Her  grand-daughter,  the  niece 
spoken  of,  says  of  her: 

She  was  a  woman  of  rare  worth — remarkable  for  devotion, 
industry  and  benevolence.  Her  patience  in  time  of  trial  and  per- 
severance in  overcoming  obstacles,  must  have  done  much  toward 
forming  the  characters  of  her  children,  particularly  this  son, 
who  seems  to  have  inherited  many  of  her  characteristics,  and 
to  whom  she  was  devotedly  attached. 

For  her  there  were  no  resting  times,  excepting  on  the 
Sabbath,  when  she  taught  her  children  and  took  them  with 
her  to  the  house  of  God. 

She  had  a  spirit  of  intense  patriotism  which  was  a  part 
of  her  birthright,  and  her  rightful  inheritance,  for  she  was 
born  in  December,  1774,  just  as  hostilities  were  breaking  out 
between  the  colonies  and  the  mother  country.  Her  father, 
Mr.  Thomas  Curtis,  joined  the  Revolutionary  army  and  was 
killed  in  1776,  in  the  early  part  of  the  war.  This  patriotic 
spirit  burned  brightly  in  the  war  of  1812,  when  the  subject 


HIS   MOTHER.  11 

of  this  memoir  was  born,  and  burst  into  a  flame,  when  our 
civil  war  took  from  her  native  town  some,  who  were  the 
flower  of  its  youthful  population.  Of  these,  scarce  one 
returned  from  the  battle  field.  She  was  then  at  an  advanced 
age  and  had  gained  her  second  sight.  Free  from  care  and 
enjoying  comfortable  health,  she  spent  her  time  knitting  and 
sewing  for  those  who  had  enlisted  in  their  country's  service. 
The  ladies  of  Norfolk  insisted  that  they  were  kept  busy 
supplying  her  with  material,  so  swiftly  did  her  deft  fingers 
complete  garments  for  the  needy  soldiers. 

She  fell  asleep  on  the  afternoon  of  December  20, 1867,  at 
the  age  of  ninety-three  years  and  four  days,  having  followed 
to  the  grave  six  of  her  eight  children,  leaving  but  two  to 
mourn  her  loss.  Her  granddaughter,  Mrs.  Mills,  who  was 
with  her  at  the  last,  gave  this  account  of  the  closing  scene : 

She  was  not  considered  sick  until  the  day  before.  Even 
then  she  was  about  the  house  and  went  to  her  meals  as  usual, 
but  was  troubled  for  breath  and  complained  of  pain  in  her  side. 
When  we  called  the  doctor,  he  thought  she  would  feel  better 
on  the  bed,  and  laid  her  down.  She  was  left  alone  with  me, 
while  he  went  into  the  next  room  to  prepare  her  medicine.  She 
moved  her  head  until  it  rested  naturally,  and  went  quietly  to 
sleep.  The  doctor  returned,  gave  me  written  directions  about 
her  medicine,  and  laid  his  hand  on  her  forehead.  He  started 
and  felt  her  pulse,  but  she  was  asleep — yes,  "  asleep  in  Jesus.'* 
"  Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  righteous  and  let  my  last  end  be 
like"  hers. 

The  following  tribute  to  her  memory  is  from  an  address 
at  her  funeral,  by  her  pastor,  Rev.  Dr.  Eldridge : 

Mrs.  Mary  Gay  lord  was  born  in  this  town  in  1774,  while 
Connecticut  was  still  a  colony  of  Great  Britain,  and  she,  in  con- 
sequence, was  a  subject  of  George  III.  Her  life  thus  reached 
to  a  period  antecedent  to  the  commencement  of  our  national 
existence. 

She  was  endowed  with  a  physical  constitution  of  great  vigor, 


12  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

and  during  her  long  life  was  remarkable  for  the  industry  and 
energy  with  which  she  performed  whatever  her  hands  found  to 
do.  On  the  very  last  day  of  her  life  she  expressed  a  satisfaction 
that  a  piece  of  work  in  which  she  had  been  engaged  was  finished. 
Apparently  she  was  persuaded  that  it  was  the  last  she  would 
perform  on  earth. 

The  mind  of  Mrs.  Gaylord  corresponded  with  her  physical 
frame.  It  was  strong,  active,  and  enduring.  I  visited  her  a 
few  weeks  previous  to  her  death,  and  was  astonished  at  the 
promptness  of  her  recollections,  and  her  mental  activity. 

Her  affections  were  tender  and  strong,  but  they  exhibited 
themselves  rather  in  deeds  than  in  words.  She  became  a  Chris- 
tian in  the  great  revival  that  prevailed  in  this  country  in  the 
years  1799  and  1800.  She  united  with  the  church  in  the  year 
1800,  consequently  has  been  a  member  of  it  sixty-seven  years. 

During  all  that  period  the  prosperity  of  the  church  has  been 
the  great  desire  of  her  heart  and  the  subject  of  daily  and  un- 
ceasing prayer. 

Mrs.  Gaylord  was,  especially  during  the  latter  part  of  her 
life,  a  great  reader,  and  it  hardly  need  be  said,  that  she  read 
books  and  papers  of  a  religious  nature.  One  work  in  which  she 
found  great  and  unfailing  delight,  was  the  "Evangelical  Maga- 
zine," a  periodical  that  was  started  in  1800,  and  contained  full 
and  detailed  statements  of  the  progress  and  results  of  the  great 
revival,  besides  excellent  articles  on  various  topics  connected 
with  Christian  character  and  obligations.  The  only  time  she 
was  ever  late  at  church,  she  had  taken  up  a  volume  of  that  work 
and  had  become  so  absorbed  in  it  that  she  did  not  hear  the  bell. 

She  seldom  wept,  even  when  staggering  under  some  heavy 
blow  of  affliction.  But  tell  her  of  a  revival  of  religion,  give 
her  some  account  of  the  success  of  the  cause  of  Christ,  and 
immediately  tears  of  joy  would  spring  to  her  eyes. 

As  long  as  she  could  get  to  the  weekly  prayer  meetings  of 
the  church,  she  was  there  and  in  season.  She  was  not  prevented 
by  other  affairs — for,  as  was  said  by  one  who  knew  her  habits, 
she  began  to  plan  on  Monday  morning  so  that  she  might  attend 
the  prayer  meeting,  and  when  the  time  came  there  were  no  ob- 
stacles in  the  way.     Oh,  how  valuable,  how  encouraging  to  the 


HOME    LIFE.  13 

pastor  was  her  course  in  this  respect !     How  worthy  the  admir- 
ation and  imitation  of  all  members  of  the  church ! 

But  her  piety  prompted  her  to  aid,  as  far  as  she  could,  every 
Christian  enterprise  by  liberal  and  continuous  contributions.  I 
have  been  assured  that  nine-tenths  of  what  came  into  her  hands 
the  last  twenty-five  years  of  her  life,  was  given  to  religious  and 
benevolent  objects. 

It  was  in  such  a  home  as  this  that  the  little  Reuben 
passed  a  happy  childhood.  He  was  healthy,  active,  full  of 
play,  quick  to  learn,  and  generally  obedient  to  his  parents. 
One  of  his  earliest  recollections  was  hearing  his  mother's 
voice  in  prayer,  as  he  first  awoke  to  consciousness  in  the 
early  morning.  She  literally  began  the  day  with  God, 
gathering  strength  for  its  cares  and  labors  by  communion 
with  Him,  before  domestic  duties,  lapping  over  each  other 
without  cessation,  should  crowd  her  away  from  her  beloved 
closet. 

As  he  grew  up,  various  tasks  on  the  larm  were  assigned 
him.  Most  of  these  he  willingly  performed,  but  there  was 
one  exception.  Many  of  these  New  England  farms  are 
thickly  sprinkled  with  stones,  which  must  be  thrown  into 
piles  each  spring,  or  the  land  can  scarcely  be  cultivated. 
One  warm  day  tired  of  this  hard  work,  he  left  it,  and 
stretched  himself  on  the  ground  under  a  tree.  His  father, 
happening  by  with  a  long  whip,  used  it  with  so  much  effect 
that  he  never  afterward  tried  to  shirk  this  disagreeable  task. 

In  school  he  often  went  beyond  the  lessons  given  him. 
If  his  teacher  for  want  of  time  or  for  any  other  reason,  would 
not  assist  him  in  working  out  difficult  problems,  he  perse- 
vered b}r  himself  until  they  were  thoroughly  mastered. 
Then  he  was  ready  to  help  others  in  similar  trouble,  as  one 
of  his  schoolmates  still  living  likes  to  testify. 

In  those  days  it  was  customary  to  keep  various  kinds  of 
liquors  in  the  house,  and  make  use  of  them  on  the  farm. 
In  haying  and  harvest  they  were  thought  to  be  an  absolute 
necessity.     But  from  a  child  he  utterly  refused  to  take  even 


14  LIFE   OF   REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

a  little  in  the  bottom  of  the  glass.  Neither  did  he  ever  try 
to  be  a  man  by  using  tobacco,  although  the  example  was 
daily  set  before  him  by  the  father  he  loved,  who  at  this  time 
made  use  of  it.  Often  when  hay  was  unloaded  at  the  barn, 
he  was  required  to  stow  it  away  in  the  hay-loft.  On  one 
occasion  the  extreme  heat  nearly  overcame  him.  His  father, 
fearing  he  would  be  seriously  ill,  compelled  him  to  drink  a 
small  quantity  of  liquor,  but  seeing  the  distress  it  caused 
him,  never  again  asked  him  to  put  a  glass  to  his  lips. 

It  was  during  these  early  years  of  the  nineteenth  century 
that  systematic  efforts  were  commenced  to  inaugurate  a 
temperance  reform.  "  A  temperance  society  was  formed  in 
the  state  of  New  York  as  early  as  1809.  We  give  one  of  the 
by-laws :  '  Any  member  of  this  association,  who  shall  be 
convicted  of  intoxication,  shall  be  fined  a  quarter  of  a  dol- 
lar, except  such  act  of  intoxication  shall  occur  on  the  Fourth 
of  July,  or  any  other  military  muster.'  But  this  even  was 
in  advance  of  public  sentiment,  and  the  men  who  adopted 
it  were  hooted  at  and  pelted  through  the  streets." 

In  1816,  Dr.  Justin  Edwards,  of  Andover,  Massachusetts, 
preached  two  powerful  discourses  on  intemperance,  and 
again  took  up  the  subject  in  1822,  pleading  with  moderate 
drinkers  to  abstain,  claiming  that  if  they  would  do  this, 
when  the  existing  race  of  drunkards  should  pass  away,  the 
land  would  be  free  from  the  curse  of  drunkenness. 

The  first  decided  and  organized  effort  to  establish  the 
total  abstinence  principle,  was  the  formation  of  the  Ameri- 
can Temperance  Society,  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  February 
13,  1826.  In  the  following  April  a  weekly  temperance 
paper  was  established  in  the  same  city  by  Rev.  William 
Collier,  called  the  National  Philanthropist.  Its  motto  was : 
"Temperate  drinking  is  the  downhill  road  to  intemperance." 

One  3'ear  previous  to  this  Dr.  Edwards  had  written  a 
tract  entitled,  "  The  Well  Conducted  Farm,"  which  was 
widely  circulated  throughout  the  country.  Dr.  Lyman 
Beecher,  while  pastor  in  the  neighboring  town  of  Litchfield, 


TEMPERANCE    REFORM.  15 

had  preached  those  six  celebrated  sermons  on  the  Nature 
Signs,  Evils  and  Remedy  of  Intemperance.  These  were 
among  the  powerful  auxiliaries  to  the  cause.  Rev.  John 
Marsh,  of  Haddam,  Connecticut,  author  of  the  rousing 
temperance  tract,  "  Putnam  and'  the  Wolf,"  was  an  active 
co-operator  with  Dr.  Edwards. 

Mr.  Gaylord,  in  common  with  man}7  other  conscientious 
and  Christian  men,  felt  the  influence  of  these  efforts,  and 
deciding  to  banish  it  from  his  house,  soon  resolved  not  to 
furnish  it  to  his  men  in  the  coining  season  of  haying  and 
harvest.  Some  prophesied  that  he  would  not  obtain  the 
needed  help  on  those  conditions,  but  he  did,  with  but  little 
trouble.  Afterward  feeling  that,  to  be  consistent,  one 
should  be  temperate  in  all  things,  he  gave  up  the  use  of 
tobacco,  discarding  entirely  his  pipe  and  tobacco  box  when 
sixty  years  of  age.  Many  years  from  this  time,  the  son, 
when  pastor  of  a  church  in  which  some  of  the  members  loved 
the  weed,  made  use  of  his  father's  example  to  convince  them 
that,  if  his  father  could  abandon  it  at  sixty,  surely  they 
could,  when  so  much  younger. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  so  little  can  be  learned  of  Mr. 
Gaylord's  early  life,  as  he  gradually  emerged  from  child- 
hood to  youth  and  passed  on  toward  manhood.  Those  who 
knew  him  best  at  this  period  have,  almost  without  excep- 
tion, preceded  him  to  the  spirit  land.  The  only  one 
remaining  is  the  niece  of  whom  mention  has  been  made, 
and  who  is  still  living  in  his  native  town. 

In  the  first  forty  or  fifty  years  of  the  present  century, 
children  were  placed  in  school  at  a  very  early  age.  His 
first  teacher  was  Miss  Welch,  a  daughter  of  the  elder  Dr. 
Welch,  of  Norfolk,  afterwards  the  wife  of  Rev.  Ira  Pettibone* 
a  highly  esteemed  clergyman,  long  a  resident  of  Stafford, 
Connecticut.  To  her  care  and  instruction  he  was  committed 
when  a  little  more  than  four  years  old.  This  lady  he  ever 
remembered  with  affectionate  interest  during  her  life,  and 
when  she  passed  away  he  felt  he  had  sustained  a  personal  loss. 


16  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

Among  some  of  Mr.  Gaylord's  interesting  remembrances 
of  boyhood  life  in  his  native  town,were  Haystack  Mountain, 
Pond  School-house,  Loon  Meadow  and  his  second  home  on 
the  flats. 

During  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1887  we  were  per- 
mitted to  revisit  New  England,  after  an  absence  of  twenty- 
three  years,  and  in  the  month  of  September  were  once  more 
in  Norfolk.  Outwardly,  the  summer  had  not  waned. 
Plentiful  rains  and  delightful  weather  had  kept  vegetation 
so  green  and  beautiful  that  nature  wore  the  freshness  of 
June.  Kind  friends  carried  us  over  a  romantic  country 
road,  up  a  long  and  somewhat  steep  hill,  then  across  a  level 
plain,  nearly  one  mile  in  extent,  and  up  another  hill,  where 
we  came  to  the  flats,  a  plateau,  on  which  are  a  few  scattered 
dwellings.  In  one  of  these  Mr.  Gaylord  passed  the  days  of 
boyhood  and  early  youth.  It  was  his  second  home,  and 
has  changed  very  little,  we  are  told,  for  more  than  half  a 
century.  This  was  one  of  those  houses  with  two  stories  in 
front,  and  a  long,  sloping  roof  running  back  until  the  rear 
was  only  one  story  in  height. 

The  dwelling  houses  of  those  days  partook  largely  of  the 
Puritan  character.  They  were  made  strong  and  substantial 
by  heavy  timbers,  with  foundations  of  stone,  and  built  in 
that  careful,  deliberate  manner,  designed  to  ensure  per- 
manence. Many  of  them  are  now  standing,  scattered  over 
New  England,  and  although  weatherbeaten  with  the  storms 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  years,  show  few 
signs  of  decay  and  still  afford  comfortable  homes. 

We  tarry  a  little,  and  then  go  on  to  the  Pond  school- 
house.  There  is  where  his  early  education  began,  and  a 
mixture  of  learning  and  play  filled  up  the  first  few  years  of 
childhood.  A  common  school  education,  under  an  efficient 
teacher,  has  proved  an  invaluable  blessing  to  multitudes, 
both  in  public  and  private  life.  For  seven  or  eight  months 
each  year,  reading,  spelling  and  writing,  followed  by  arith- 
metic, grammar  and  geograph}'-,  was  the  prescribed  course 


SCHOOL   DAYS.  17 

in  a  district  school.  And  these  normal  branches  are  abso- 
lutely needful  as  the  foundation  of  all  other  learning  in 
after  life. 

In  those  days  the  Bible  and  religious  teaching  were  not 
forbidden,  as  in  the  present  age.  The  New  Testament  was 
considered  indispensable  as  a  school-book,  and  was  read  by 
the  children  in  classes  at  least  once  every  day.  Even  the 
younger  ones  had  it  placed  in  their  hands,  when  they  could 
only  read  it  by  spelling  out  all  except  the  shorter  words. 
But  this  Pond  school-house  is  not  the  same  building  of 
by-gone  days,  for  another  one  has  been  reared  on  the  same 
spot. 

And  here  is  the  pond,  a  beautiful  little  lake,  large  and 
deep  enough  for  small  sail  and  row  boats.  It  is  a  bright 
and  sparkling  sheet  of  water,  one  shore  coming  up  near  the 
school-house,  and  another  one,  much  longer,  running  along 
not  far  from  the  roadside,  and  nearly  parallel  with  it. 
Across  the  pond,  and  near  the  opposite  shore,  a  large  rock 
rises  out  of  the  water  to  the  height  of  five  or  six  feet.  On 
the  top  of  this  was  a  natural  seat,  where  the  boys  used  to 
sit  and  fish  at  their  leisure,  but  perhaps  oftener  enjoyed  the 
delightful  sport  of  diving  from  it  into  the  water.  This 
must  have  been  a  paradise  for  boys,  who  take  to  water  as 
naturally  as  ducks,  and  we  do  not  wonder  at  the  happy 
memories  which  clustered  around  this  attractive  place,  and 
which  never  seemed  to  grow  dim  through  all  the  long  years 
of  his  life. 

The  road  now  stretches  on  its  winding  way,  disclosing 
new  beauties  of  hill  and  valley,  of  trees  and  wild  flowers, 
and  of  luxuriant  vines,  whose  length  could  scarce  be  meas- 
ured. The  wild  clematis,  with  a  wealth  of  foliage  and 
bloom,  was  hanging  in  graceful  festoons  from  the  out- 
stretched-branches of  trees,  clinging  to  every  shrub  and 
covering  fences,  thus  giving  the  passer-by  an  invitation  to 
reach  and  gather  the  blossoms. 

In  the  midst  of  tender  memories,  if  friends  could  only 


18  LIFE  OP  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

feel  that  the  departed  knew  where  they  were,  and  were  near 
them,  though  all  unseen!  And  why  not?  But  our  God  is 
here!  These  are  His  works,  and  are  a  type,  a  shadow  of 
those  "  sweet  fields  beyond  the  swelling  floods,"  which 
"  stand  dressed  in  living  green."  Thus  our  dear  ones  who 
have  awaked  in  the  likeness  of  the  Christ  they  love,  are 
satisfied,  and  that  knowledge  should  satisfy  us. 

But  we  go  on  to  another  hill,  on  the  side  of  which  once 
stood  a  plain  brown  farm-house — the  birthplace  of  the  little 
Reuben.  No  trace  of  the  building  is  left,  and  all  that  we 
find  is  an  excavation,  which  once  formed  the  cellar,  and  a 
few  currant  bushes,  which  remain  to  testify  that  the  place 
was  once  inhabited.  We  linger  but  a  moment,  but  long 
enough  to  feel  that  it  was  once  a  hallowed  spot,  for  here 
that  Christian  mother  offered  up  daily  prayers  which  have 
been  answered  and  may  continue  to  be  in  blessings  on  her 
posterity  for  generations  to  come. 

Again  we  change  our  course,  and  go  over  the  long  road 
to  "  Loon  Meadow  " — Lonely  Meadow,  we  should  call  it. 
We  hardly  know  how  it  received  its  name,  but  tradition 
says  that  one  of  the  large  and  water-loving  loons  was  found 
lying  dead  upon  the  ground.  The  place  was  often  alluded 
to  by  Mr.  Gaylord,  and  possibly  was  a  sort  of  boyish 
trysting-place  in  childhood  days. 

From  the  American  Encyclopedia: 

The  loon  or  great  northern  diver,  is  a  large,  powerful,  and 
handsome  bird.  Its  colors  are  black  and  white.  The  head  and 
neck  are  a  dark  greenish  blue,  the  latter  varied  with  transverse 
patches  of  white.  In  moving  beneath  the  surface  of  the  water, 
they  use  wings  as  well  as  feet.  Their  legs  are  set  so  far  back 
that,  when  on  land,  they  walk  with  slow  and  awkward  gait, 
standing  nearly  upright,  but  fly  swiftly  at  a  high  elevation. 
The  largest  measure  from  thirty-one  to  thirty-six  inches,  extent 
of  wings  five  feet.  They  weigh  from  eight  to  ten  pounds. 
Their  notes  are  so  loud  and  plaintive  that  to  be  "  as  noisy  as  a 


CONVERSION.  19 

loon  "  has  become  a  proverb.  They  frequent  the  northern  and 
middle  United  States  from  Maine  to  Maryland  and  from  the 
Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  ocean. 

Mr.  Gaylord  often  wondered  why  he  had  never  seen 
this  bird  in  the  west.  But  one  day  during  the  last  autumn 
of  his  life,  he  said  to  a  member  of  his  family,  "  I  hear  the 
notes  of  a  loon.  Come  and  help  me  find  him."  But  he 
could  not  be  found.  Another  day  the  same  sounds  were 
heard,,  and  Mr.  Gaylord  remarked,  "  I  am  sure  that  is  the 
cry  of  a  loon."  Another  search  with  longing  eyes  was  still 
unsuccessful. 

But  to  return  to  his  boyhood  school  days.  During  these 
days,  while  out  of  school,  his  exuberant  spirits  found  exercise 
in  work  about  the  farm,  or  assisting  his  mother  in  her 
household  duties. 

In  the  winter  of  1827,  during  a  season  of  religious  interest, 
he  became  a  decided  Christian,  and  this  strengthened  the 
already  strong  bond  between  mother  and  son.  He  was  now 
nearly  fifteen  years  of  age.  Naturally,  he  at  first  held  back 
when  called  upon  to  pray  or  speak  in  public,  but  on  coming 
out  of  church  after  an  evening  service,  one  of  the  deacons 
laid  a  hand  on  his  shoulder,  and  in  a  very  impressive  man- 
ner repeated  these  words  :  "  Open  thy  mouth  wide  and  I 
will  fill  it."  This  proved  to  be  a  word  in  season,  and  from 
that  time  he  succeeded  in  gradually  overcoming  his  embar- 
rassment, when  requested  to  take  part  in  religious  meetings. 
All  through  his  ministerial  life,  he  felt  the  importance  of 
bringing  new  converts  into  active  service,  before  the  fervor 
of  their  first  love  should  in  any  measure  pass  away.  That 
good  deacon  little  knew  how  far-reaching  would  be  the 
influence  of  those  few  words,  spoken  so  opportunely  to  the 
boy  Christian.  It  was  at  this  period  that  his  pastor,  in  view 
of  his  intellectual  abilities  and  the  love  of  God  implanted 
in  his  heart,  desired  that  he  should  devote  himself  to  the 
Christian  ministry.     From  very  childhood  his  parents  had 


20  LIFE   OP   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

planned  that  this  son  should  be  the  one  to  remain  with 
them,  to  care  for  them,  whenever  age  or  infirmity  might 
render  them  helpless.  But  when  the  question  was  put  to 
them,  there  was  no  opposition.  What  were  they  or  their 
plans,  if  the  Lord  wanted  this  one  for  His  work  ?  Some 
one  else  could  "  follow  the  sheep  " — for  that  was  a  part  of 
his  work — and  be  a  prop  to  them  in  the  evening  of  life.  So 
after  remaining  in  school  in  the  Academy  at  Goshen  a  year 
or  so,  with  the  ministry  in  view,  he  commenced  "  fitting  for 
college  "  under  the  tuition  of  his  beloved  pastor,  Rev.  Ralph 
Emerson. 

But  little  can  be  said  of  his  manner  of  life  during  this 
period,  as  those  who  knew  best  what  it  was,  have  passed 
away.  The  link  is  but  a  short  one,  for  he  entered  Yale 
College  soon  after  completing  his  eighteenth  year. 

While  studying  at  home  the  intimate  companionship 
which  had  existed  between  his  mother  and  himself  was 
more  closety  cemented,  and  his  Christian  character  devel- 
oped and  grew  stronger  under  her  daily  influence.  Very 
often  he  laid  down  his  book  to  bring  wood  and  water,  or  to- 
assist  her  in  getting  the  family  meal. .  Then  his  Christian 
training  went  on  also  in  the  Sabbath-school  and  prayer- 
meeting,  and  in  being  so  constantly  the  loving  pupil  of  his 
faithful  spiritual  teacher.  This  mutual  attachment  between 
pastor  and  pupil  continued  during  Mr.  Emerson's  life.  It 
is  fitting  that  there  should  be  further  mention  of  this  excel- 
lent man  in  this  connection. 

In  May,  1815,  the  church  and  society  of  Norfolk  extended 
to  Rev.  Ralph  Emerson  "  a  unanimous  call  to  settle  over 
them  in  the  gospel  ministry."  He  accepted  the  call  and  on 
the  12th  of  June  was  ordained  as  their  pastor.  The  wisdom 
of  this  decision  on  the  part  of  both  pastor  and  people  was 
seen  in  the  fourteen  years  of  a  successful  and  greatly 
beloved  pastorate.  In  the  year  following  Mr.  Emerson's 
ordination,  they  were  blessed  with  a  revival,  and  122  were 
added  to  the  church.     In  1828  he  was  elected  to  the  presi- 


HIS   PASTOK.  21 

dency  of  Hudson  College,  Ohio,  but  his  people  refused  to 
part  with  him.  In  October,  1829,  he  was  appointed  Pro- 
fessor of  Ecclesiastical  History  and  Lecturer  on  Pastoral 
Theology  in  Andover  Theological  Seminary.  Again  there 
were  two  or  three  decided  refusals  on  the  part  of  the 
church ;  but  a  renewed  application  from  Andover,  and  Mr. 
Emerson's  earnest  wishes  to  accept  the  position,  induced  the 
people  to  withdraw  their  opposition,  and  they  reluctantly 
consented  to  part  with  him.  On  the  24th  of  November, 
1829,  the  relation  between  pastor  and  people  was  formally 
dissolved  by  a  council  convened  for  that  purpose. 

Mr.  Emerson  was  characterized  by  an  earnest  spirit  of 
piety  and  much  depth  of  Christian  experience.  With  love 
to  God  and  love  to  man  as  an  all-controlling  principle,  he 
truly  "  watched  for  souls  as  one  that  must  give  account." 
After  leaving  Andover,  he  resided  in  Newburyport  three 
years,  then  removed  to  Rockford,  Illinois,  the  home  of  his 
son,  Ralph  Emerson.  Here,  on  the  20th  of  May,  1863, 
he  was  called  to  enter  upon  his  heavenly  rest.  Twelve 
years  later,  in  1875,  his  beloved  wife  was  laid  by  his  side  in 
the  cemetery  at  Beloit,  Wisconsin.  This  is  the  home  of 
another  son,  Prof.  Joseph  Emerson,  who  has  been  for  many 
years  Greek  professor  in  Beloit  College. 


II. 


COLLEGE  LIFE 


1830-1834. 


"  Many  shall  run  to  and  fro,  and  knowledge  shall  be  increased." 


Let  developed  talent  first  be  consecrated  talent;  then  the  life,  in 
God's  hands,  is  in  the  way  of  grand  possibilities. — Brooks. 


Be  strong  to-day;  the  world  needs  men 
Of  nerve  and  muscle,  heart  and  brain, 
To  war  for  truth  and  conquer  wrong. 


Their  works  do  follow  them. 


Back  from  the  canvas  that  throbs, 
The  painter  is  hinted  and  hidden, 

Into  the  statue  that  breathes 
The  soul  of  the  sculptor  is  bidden. 

— Selected. 


'Tis  better  to  weave  in  the  web  of  life 

A  bright  and  golden  filling, 
And  do  God's  will  with  a  ready  heart 

And  hands  that  are  swift  and  willing. 

— Selected. 


CHAPTER   II. 
College  Life. 

Infancy  of  Railroads — Ride  to  New  Haven — Examination — Hazing — 
Scholarship— Revtval  of  1831— Tutor  Pettingell— Rev.  Joseph 
Eldridge — Graduation — Invitation  to  Illinois  College. 

THE  year  1830  may  be  called  the  birth-year  of  the  rail- 
road system  of  our  country.  By  the  advent  of  1831 
twenty-three  miles  in  all  were  completed.  Their  slow 
progress  in  the  first  decade  of  the  system  may  be  called 
creeping  ;  then  they  were  able  to  run  ;  then  rushed — until, 
in  this  year  of  our  Lord  1888,  there  are  one  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  miles  of  railroad  in  the  United  States. 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  1830,  before  Connecticut  was 
troubled  with  even  a  short  stretch  of  iron  rail,  that  the  one- 
horse  wagon  was  brought  out,  and  father  and  son  commenced 
their  two  days'  ride  to  New  Haven.  Arriving  there,  as  the 
son  went  in  to  pass  the  ordeal  of  examination,  the  father 
jocosely  remarked,  "  Very  likely  I  shall  have  to  carry  you 
home  with  me,  for  you  have  not  half  studied."  After  the 
trial  was  over,  as  Mr.  Gaylord  stood  talking  with  some 
gentlemen,  the  son  said  to  him,  "  Father,  you  will  have  to 
go  home  alone,  for  I  am  not  going  with  you." 

It  was  not  long  after  entering  Yale  that  the  young 
student  had  to  pass  another  ordeal — that  of  hazing  the 
Freshman — a  practice  which  should  have  been  abolished 
in  the  long  years  that  have  intervened  since  1830,  but  which, 
we  believe,  is  still  in  vogue  among  mischievous  and  fun- 
loving  students.  One  evening  there  was  a  knock  on  his 
door,  and  on  opening  it,  two  masked  figures  rushed  in.  He 
was  wearing  at  the  time  a  pair  of  boots  with  thick  heavy 
soles.     Before  they  had  time  to  commence  operations,  Mr. 


26  LIFE  OP  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

Gaylord  seized  them  by  the  collar  and  began  such  a  vigorous 
and  hearty  application  of  the  boots,  that  they  cried  out  for 
quarter.  This  castigation  proved  sufficient,  for  he  was  never 
again  troubled  with  visits  of  this  kind. 

He  commenced  his  college  life  with  a  full  determination 
to  make  the  most  of  his  time  and  opportunities.  In  Greek 
and  Latin  he  made  great  proficiency  and  gained  such  a 
thorough  knowledge  that  it  never  failed  him  in  after  life. 
Through  all  the  years  of  his  ministry  these  languages 
were  so  familiar,  that  it  was  easy  to  keep  them  fresh  and 
bright.  And  the  volumes  of  the  Greek  Testament  were  the 
almost  constant  companions  of  his  study  hours.  In  the 
higher  mathematics  he  was  excelled  by  but  one  in  his 
class.  The  health  of  this  one  failed,  and  he  died  in  the 
third  year  of  the  course.  It  was  Mr.  Gaylord's  uniform 
practice  to  keep  "  one  or  two  lessons  ahead,"  and  on  this 
account  he  was  seldom  or  never  caught  unprepared. 

In  the  revivals  of  '31  and  '32,  which  prevailed  so  exten- 
sively throughout  the  country,  the  college  shared  deeply, 
and  Christian  students  and  professors  awoke  to  new  spiritual 
life.  It  came  at  a  time  when  infidelity  was  assuming  a  bold 
front.  The  mask,  behind  which  it  had  beguiled  many  an 
unwary  student  from  faith  in  and  reverence  for  the  Word, 
into  the  regions  of  doubt  and  unbelief,  was  thrown  off. 
President  Day,  the  noble  leader  and  guide  of  the  institution 
since  1817,  had  sought  to  train  the  young  men  in  intellect 
and  heart  for  God  and  the  world.  But  at  this  time  he  was 
walking  by  faith  more  than  by  sight. 

The  only  record  extant  of  Mr.  Gaylord's  years  in  college 
is  a  few  letters  to  his  brother  and  to  his  niece  Martha. 
These  strike  the  chord  which  gives  the  key-note  to  his  col- 
lege life. 

To  his  eldest  brother,  Timothy  : 

Yale  College,  New  Haven,  March  30,  1831. — Dear 
Brother  :     I  gladly  address  a  few  lines  to  you  at  this  time. 


REVIVAL  OF   1831-2.  27 

Am  enjoying  good  health  and,  I  hope,  the  smiles  of  God's  coun- 
tenance. 

No  doubt  you  have  heard  what  the  Lord  has  done,  and  is 
Btill  doing  for  us  in  this  institution.  But  no  one  who  has  not 
been  an  eye  witness,  can  even  imagine  the  change  which  has 
been  effected  within  the  past  two  months.  We  can  never  suf- 
ficiently praise  God  for  appearing  in  our  midst  and  converting 
one  hundred  and  twenty  of  our  fellow  students  unto  Himself. 
Join  with  us,  dear  brother,  in  thanksgiving  to  Him,  and  in 
earnest  prayer  for  the  remaining  seventy. 

Although  conversions  are  not  as  frequent,  yet  the  good 
work  seems  to  be  advancing.  It  has  extended  throughout  the 
city,  and  religion  is  the  general  topic  of  conversation.  All 
denominations  share  in  it,  and  it  pervades  all  classes — the  rich 
and  the  poor,  the  moral  and  the  profligate.  None  are  exempt 
from  its  influence,  and  the  oldest  Christians  look  on  with  aston- 
ishment as  they  behold  what  the  Lord  is  doing.  The  revival  is 
pervading  the  schools  of  every  description,  and  hundreds  are 
hopefully  converted.  There  are  at  least  one  thousand  inquirers 
after  the  way  of  life 

Oh,  my  dear  brother,  you  can  scarcely  imagine  what  is 
being  done  for  our  country,  for  there  is  scarcely  a  large  city 
without  the  influences  of  the  Spirit.  It  seems  as  if  those 
fountains,  which  have  been  sending  forth  the  bitter  waters  of 
sin,  infidelity  and  worldliness,  were  to  be  purified,  for  God  is 
freely  pouring  into  them  of  His  own  Divine  grace. 

And  now  I  want  to  put  the  question  home  to  you,  although 
I  am  so  much  younger,  and  inquire  what  you  are  doing,  for 
surely  no  one  can  be  cold  or  indifferent  in  such  a  time  of  merciful 
visitation.  Use  all  your  influence  to  spread  in  the  church  a 
spirit  of  prayer,  of  brotherly  love  and  faithfulness  toward  each 
other  among  the  members. 

To  Martha,  his  brother's  daughter : 

My  Dear  Friend  Martha:  *  *  *  When  I  see  so 
many  around  me  turning  to  God,  I  have  a  most  ardent  desire 
that  you  also  should  seek  the  Savior.  Oh,  come  and  see  what  a 
precious  gift  is  now  held  out  for  your  acceptance.     You  are  old 


28  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

enough  to  repent  and  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  for 
many  younger  than  you  in  this  city  have  done  it.  When  I  come 
home  I  hope  to  find  you  rejoicing  in  Christ.  Tell  your  brother, 
Myron,  that  Christ  is  also  saving  little  boys  here — that  same 
Savior  who,  when  on  earth,  took  little  children  in  His  arms  and 
blessed  them — and  He  is  willing  and  waiting  to  receive  him. 

Yale  College,  August  20, 1831. — My  Dear  Martha:  Only 
three  and  a  half  weeks  now  remain  before  commencement. 
Probably  your  school  has  closed  before  this.  Am  glad  you 
were  pleased  with  it,  and  hope  you  will  enter  the  school  of 
Christ,  if  you  have  not  already  done  so,  and  diligently  learn  the 
way  of  life.  The  greatest  wisdom  given  to  mortals  is  contained 
in  a  single  sentence:  "Seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  His 
righteousness."  Am  glad  to  hear  you  are  attending  a  Bible 
class.  ******  When  we  meet  again  may  it 
be  as  the  children  of  God,  redeemed  by  the  same  precious  blood, 
and  fellow-travelers  to  the  same  blessed  home  beyond  the  grave. 
I  have  been  deeply  impressed  with  the  shortness  of  time  by  the 
recent  death  of  a  young  man,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Senior 
class  in  this  institution.  He  was  taken  sick  soon  after  the  term 
began,  but  got  better  and  went  home  to  Virginia,  accompanied 
by  his  mother.  News  of  his  death  has  just  been  received,  and 
we  are  thinking,  what  if  he  had  not  attended  to  the  important 
interests  of  the  soul  in  the  revival  of  last  term?  Before  this 
revival  he  was  dissipated  and  an  infidel — after  it,  a  humble 
Christian.  Thus  we  see  one  cut  down  in  the  activity  and  vigor 
of  life,  whose  prospects  for  future  usefulness  were  apparently 
very  good.  *****  Tell  my  friends  my  health 
is  good,  although  this  has  been  a  long,  very  warm  and  weari- 
some term.  Tell  them,  also,  that  commencement  is  the  19th 
day  of  September,  and  I  hope  some  of  them  will  make  it  con- 
venient to  come  down  to  New  Haven  at  that  time. 

December  3. — Yesterday  we  followed  to  the  grave  the  life- 
less remains  of  one  dear  to  the  hearts  of  all  who  knew  him.  The 
mysterious  Providence  of  God  has  removed  from  our  institution, 
our  church,  and  our  religious  meetings,  one  who  stood  conspicu- 
ous as  a  scholar,  an  instructor,  and  a  Christian. 


TUTOR     PETTINGELL.  29 

Mr.  Pettingell  was  born  at  Newburyport,  Massachusetts, 
trained  by  pious  parents,  and  after  pursuing  his  preparatory 
studies  at  Phillips  Academy,  Andover,  entered  this  institution 
in  the  fall  of  1821.  He  was  distinguished  for  mental  attain- 
ments, correct  deportment  and  a  lovely  character.  He  graduated 
in  1825  and  was  chosen  tutor  in  182*7.  In  discharging  the  duties 
of  his  office  he  gave  very  great  satisfaction.  In  the  revival  of 
last  spring  he  became  a  decided  Christian,  and  at  once  began 
active  service  in  the  cause  he  had  learned  to  love.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  this  term  he  entered  the  middle  class  in  the 
Theological  school.  About  two  weeks  before  his  death  he 
took  a  severe  cold,  which  settled  on  his  lungs  and  quickly 
brought  him  to  the  grave.  Had  we  been  asked,  four  weeks 
ago,  when  he  stood  in  a  religious  meeting  and  talked  with 
ecstasy  of  the  love  of  Christ,  Who  is  destined  to  exert  the 
greatest  influence  for  good?  the  universal  reply  would  have 
been,  Tutor  Pettingell.  But  he  is  gone,  and  we  can  only  bow 
and  say,  "Thy  will  be  done."  I  have  given  the  above  from  a 
sketch  of  his  life  at  the  funeral  by  Professor  Fitch. 

December  10. — I  find  it  difficult  to  write  many  letters,  as 
my  studies,  though  pleasant,  are  hard,  and  require  nearly  all 
my  time.  Tell  my  parents  I  have  been  expecting  a  letter  from 
them,  but  have  received  none.  I  know  not  whether  my  friends 
are  dead  or  alive,  sick  or  well,  but  trust  that  all  is  well  with 
them  ********** 

My  time  passes  pleasantly,  and  I  find  the  society  of  my 
roommate  very  agreeable.  I  am  constrained  to  feel  that  this 
institution,  as  a  place  of  confinement  for  study,  possesses  charms 
above  any  other.  But  while  I  am  poring  over  my  books,  I 
suppose  you  are  enjojdng  now  and  then  a  sleighride  over  the 
snow-clad  hills  of  Norfolk.         ****** 

But  let  me  address  a  few  words  to  you  by  way  of  exhorta- 
tion. If  you  have  really  begun  to  "  walk  by  faith,"  often  make 
God  and  the  Bible  the  theme  of  your  meditations,  and  spend 
much  time  in  secret  prayer.     And  if  you  can  every  morning  fix 


30  LIFE    OP    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

some  passage  of  Scripture  in  mind,  to  be  the  subject  of  your 
thoughts  during  the  day,  you  will  find  it  a  great  help  to  you. 

In  November,  1829,  Rev.  Ralph  Emerson  was  dismissed 
by  council  from  his  pastoral  charge  at  Norfolk,  that  he  might 
accept  a  professorship  in  the  Theological  Seminary  at 
Andover,  Massachusetts.  He  had  been  the  beloved  pastor 
of  the  church  and  almost  the  whole  population  since  June, 
1815,  and  it  was  with  deep  and  unfeigned  sorrow  that  the 
people  finally  consented  to  part  with  him.  For  three  suc- 
ceeding years  several  candidates  preached  with  much 
acceptance.  To  three  of  these  calls  were  extended,  but  were 
in  each  instance  declined,  and  the  people  were  becoming 
somewhat  discouraged.  Early  in  December,  1831,  Rev. 
Joseph  Eldridge  commenced  his  labors  among  them,  and 
after  preaching  several  Sabbaths,  on  the  23rd  day  January, 
1832,  the  church  and  society  gave  him  a  unanimous  call 
"  to  settle  over  them  as  their  gospel  minister."  On  February 
12,  the  congregation  had  the  satisfaction  of  hearing  his  letter 
of  acceptance  read  to  them,  and  began  to  look  forward  with 
deep  interest  to  the  time  when  they  would  again  enjoy  the 
stated  ministrations  of  the  gospel.  Mr.  Eldridge  was  ordained 
on  April  25,  1832,  the  interest  of  the  occasion  being  greatly 
increased  by  an  excellent  sermon  from  Rev.  Dr.  Taylor,  of 
New  Haven.  In  allusion  to  this  Mr.  Gaylord  thus  writes 
to  his  brother  in  Norfolk  : 

Yale  College,  March  11,  1832. — I  rejoice  that  our  people 
are  to  have  one  set  apart  to  minister  to  them  in  holy  things. 
The  Lord  has  heard  and  answered.  May  this  union  be  happy 
and  lasting. 

I  have  been  thinking,  my  dear  brother,  how  pleasant  and 
profitable  it  might  be  for  the  good  people  of  Norfolk  to  com- 
mence a  protracted  meeting  on  the  day  of  Mr.  Eldridge's  ordi- 
nation, and  I  would  suggest  the  propriety  of  consulting  other 
members  of  the  church  respecting  it.  I  believe  these  meetings 
have  been  held  at  such  times  and  attended  with  very  good  results. 


REV.    DR.    ELDRIDGE.  31 

This  union  was  indeed  "  happy  and  lasting."  For  nearly 
forty-three  years  Dr.  Eldridge  was  the  faithful  and  successful 
spiritual  guide  of  a  devoted  and  affectionate  people.  His 
time,  talents,  and  influence  were  consecrated  to  his  work, 
and  he  had  the  supreme  satisfaction,  the  highest  and  best  to 
every  true  pastor,  of  leading  very  many  to  Christ  during  the 
long  years  of  his  ministry.  His  wife  was  a  true  "  helpmeet " 
and  an  earnest  co-laborer,  sometimes  going  into  out  neigh- 
borhoods to  teach  a  Sabbath-school  class,  and  in  many  ways 
helping  forward  every  good  word  and  work.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  Mr.  Joseph  Battell,  whose  memory  is  still 
cherished  with  great  respect,  and  granddaughter  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Robbins,  the  first  settled  pastor  of  the  town  of  Norfolk. 
She  was  the  devoted  mother  of  a  large  family  of  children, 
who  delight  to  "  rise  up  and  call  her  blessed."  A  short 
extract  from  a  letter  to  Mr.  Gaylord  by  Mr.  Robbins  Battell, 
a  brother  of  Mrs.  Eldridge,  gives  the  final  closing  up  of 
this  successful  pastorate  : 

New  York,  September  8,  1874. — You  have,  perhaps,  heard 
that  Rev.  Joseph  Eldridge  has  resigned  his  pastoral  charge  to 
take  effect  from  the  first  of  November  next.  He  felt  compelled 
to  do  so  from  failure  of  health  and  physical  strength  for  what 
an  active  discharge  of  his  duties  required.  His  sermons,  I  think, 
have  never  been  better  or  more  acceptable  than  for  the  last  few 
months. 

Mr.  Eldridge  died  on  the  last  day  of  the  following  March 
at  the  age  of  seventy  years. 

The  severing  of  such  strong  ties  as  had  long  existed 
between  this  pastor  and  this  people,  caused  a  "  very  great 
mourning  "  when  he  was  finally  taken  from  them.  The  old, 
and  the  young,  and  the  middle-aged  were  bowed  with  grief, 
as  they  looked  for  the  last  time  upon  the  beloved  face  of  him 
who  for  so  many  years  was  their  spiritual  adviser,  guide 
and  friend.     "The  memory  of  the  just  is  blessed." 


32  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

Mr.  Gaylord  to  his  niece: 

Yale  College,  New  Haven,  March  8,  1832. — My  health  is 
good  and  I  am  enjoying  much  pleasure  in  the  pursuit  of  learning. 
The  hill  of  science  is  steep  and  rugged ,  but  every  step  we  ascend 
adds  new  luster  to  the  scene  below.  I  feel  that  I  am  highly 
privileged  in  being  permitted  to  enjoy  such  opportunities,  but 
when  I  look  forward  I  see  worlds  of  knowledge  lying  in  my 
path ,  and  on  either  side  many  hidden  treasures  which  I  hope  one 
day  to  make  my  own.  I  can  write  but  little  now,  and  should 
let  my  pen  lie  upon  my  desk,  were  it  not  for  a  desire  to  receive 
your  answer. 

I  never  saw  more  pleasant  weather  in  March  than  we  had 
yesterday,  and  are  having  to-da}^  Winter  with  his  cold  and 
chilling  blasts  seems  to  have  bid  us  farewell ,  and  the  more  pleas- 
ant sunshine  of  spring  beams  upon  us.  The  ground  is  settled 
and  dry,  and  we  almost  see  the  green  grass  springing  up  around 
us.  But  I  suppose  that  you  at  Norfolk  are  almost  wallowing 
in  mud,  with  here  and  there  a  snow  drift  by  the  side  of  the  way. 
I  often  think  of  you  and  my  friends  at  Norfolk,  and  sometimes 
lift  my  heart  to  God  in  prayer  that  you  may  be  kept  from  the 
trials  and  temptations  that  beset  your  path .  I  beseech  of  you 
be  ever  on  the  watch  to  maintain  a  consistent  walk  before  the 
world ,  for  the  conduct  of  professors  of  religion ,  especially  the 
young,  is  narrowly  scrutinized.  If  it  is  what  it  ought  to  be, the 
cause  of  Christ  will  be  helped,  but  if  not,  it  will  do  much  to 
prejudice  the  minds  of  the  careless  against  the  religion  of  the 
gospel.  Let  us  ever  walk  worthy  of  our  high  vocation.  And 
now,  as  spring  opens  and  nature  is  beginning  to  burst  the  icy 
cords  with  which  winter  has  bound  her,  let  us  too  break  from 
our  hearts  those  adamantine  chains  which  the  power  of  sin  has 
drawn  around  them.  Our  Lord  from  heaven  calls  upon  us  to 
awake  from  sleep;  the  multitudes  that  are  every  day  dropping 
into  eternity  without  an  interest  in  Christ  call  upon  us,  and 
everything  around,  with  a  speaking  or  silent  eloquence,  is  en- 
treating us  to  live  and  work  for  God . 

Novembek  28,  1833. — We  are  having  many  lectures  on  vari- 
ous subjects.     In  the  early  part  of  the  term  we  had  an  extended 


COLLEGE    STUDIES.  33 

course  upon  a8trono.my,  very  interesting  and  instructive.  These 
have  closed  and  those  on  chemistry  commenced.  *  *  *  * 
In  addition  to  the  mental  discipline  we  gain  from  attention  to 
the  subject,  there  is  a  constant  stream  of  pleasure  flowing  into 
the  mind  from  being  enabled  thus  understandingly  to  contemplate 
the  Creator's  works.  We  find  the  more  we  examine  them,  that 
concord  and  harmony  reign  throughout,  and  that  all  things  take 
place  according  to  fixed  laws.  How  can  any  one  who  honestly 
studies  nature  as  she  is,  say,  "There  is  no  God"?  It  is  not 
reason  that  teaches  them  this,  but  a  doubtful  heart.  We  have 
also  occasional  lectures  on  law,  and  are  giving  attention  to 
metaphysics,  leading  us  to  turn  our  thoughts  within  and  observe 
the  workings  of  the  immortal  spirit. 

February  17,  1834. —        *  *        Our  room  is  larger 

than  you  supposed — 12  by  15  feet.  The  furniture  is  simple,  but 
convenient.  We  are  not  doomed  to  spend  all  ovir  time  over  dry 
Latin  and  Greek,  but  are  still  investigating  the  secrets  of  nature 
as  they  are  revealed  in  chemistry. 

What  wonderful  skill,  what  wisdom  and  design  are  exhibited 
in  man.  The  study  of  the  eye  alone  should  be  sufficient  to  con- 
vince us  of  the  benevolent  design  of  an  Almighty  Creator .  But 
we  see  all  around  us  numberless  exhibitions  of  the  same  great 
truth — that  God  exists — that  He  is  good  and  desires  our  happi- 
ness. Natural  theology  engages  our  attention  a  part  of  the 
time,  and  we  are  permitted  to  study  the  laws  that  regulate  the 
moral  world  and  govern  men  in  their  dealings  with  each  other. 
******  ****** 

It  seems  to  be  an  unfortunate  time  among  the  school  teachers 
in  Norfolk.  I  really  feel  sorry  for  Miss  Ames.  I  am  not  sur- 
prised at  the  news  respecting  John  Dowd.  I  warned  him  of  his 
danger  while  in  Canaan,  for  I  felt  that  he  was  going  beyond  his 
strength.  Perhaps  I  shall  never  see  him  again  on  earth,  but  I 
trust  he  is  ripe  for  Heaven. 

Mr.  Gaylord  graduated  from  college  in  1834.  There 
were  sixty-five  in  his  class,  among  whom  were  Bradstreet, 
Budington,  H.  W.  Ellsworth,  Benedict,  D.  S.  Brainard,  H. 


34  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

C.  Kingsley,  W.  H.  Starr,  C.  It.  Welles,  C.  D.  Cowles,  P.  St. 
John,  Alfred  Emerson,  Nathan  Perkins  Seymour  and  John 
Noyes.  His  graduating  oration  was  "  On  the  Duty  of  our 
Professional  Men  to  Liberalize  Their  Minds  by  Attention  to 
General  Literature." 

Professor,  afterwards  President,  Sturtevant,  of  Illinois 
College,  being  present  on  the  occasion  of  his  graduation, 
sought  and  obtained  an  introduction.  Afterwards  calling  at 
his  home  in  Norfolk,  he  offered  him  a  position  in  the  then 
westernmost  college  in  our  country,  at  Jacksonville,  Illinois. 
The  young  alumnus  was  absent  from  home  at  the  time, 
much  to  the  gratification  of  his  mother,  who  hoped  that 
would  end  the  matter.  Not  so,  however.  Another  call  was 
more  successful,  and  he  consented  to  put  his  hands  to  the 
work  of  Christian  education — a  work  in  which  he  bore  a 
conspicuous  part  for  more  than  forty  years,  while  at  the 
same  time  his  chiefest  employment  was  preaching  the  Word 
of  Life.  He  deeply  felt  the  importance  of  care  and  faithful- 
ness in  the  propagation  of  the  gospel  in  both  of  these 
directions,  and  as  a  good  and  safe  building  could  never  be 
reared  upon  a  poor  foundation,  so  the  superstructure  of  our 
Christian  religion  must  be  firmly  established  upon  the 
immortal  basis  of  God's  own  word.  With  this  spirit  he 
oomphed  with  the  invitation  to  leave  earl}'  associations  and 
assist  in  the  beginnings  of  Illinois  College.  While  there 
he  often  went  out  on  the  Sabbath  into  some  new  settlement, 
gathered  the  people  together  and  addressed  them  from  some 
portion  of  the  Scripture  which  he  selected  for  the  occasion. 

Afterwards,  in  Iowa,  he  helped  to  lay  the  foundations  of 
Iowa  College,  of  schools,  academies,  of  temperance  and 
anti-slavery  reforms,  and  whatever  would  promote  the  well- 
being  and  highest  good  of  what  was  to  be  a  great  and  noble 
state. 


III. 

THE  STAR  IN  THE  WEST. 

1834-1837. 


If  to  the  rock-hewn  path  of  truth 

Thy  pilgrim  feet  are  given, 
March  boldly  from  the  bowers  of  youth, 

To  trial,  toil,  and  heaven. 

— Selected. 


"  Christian  Education  and  the  Christian  Religion  are  members  of 
the  same  firm,  and  neither  are  silent  partners.  They  are  working  openly 
and  together  to  save  the  world,  and  will  finally  succeed." 


;  No  man  liveth  to  himself." 


Oh,  trifle  not  with  life:  tis  but  an  hour: 
Redeem  its  every  moment  day  by  day, 

Press  forward  to  the  front — 
Live  for  the  future  life;  watch!  watch  and  pray! 

— Selected. 


"  The  Lord  thy  God  is  with  thee  whithersoever  thou  goest.: 


CHAPTER   III. 
Teaching  and  Journeying. 

New  Preston  —  Going  West — Illinois  in  Early  Days  —  Founding 
Illinois  College — Rev.  Theron  Baldwin — Jacksonville — Work 
as  Tutor — Vacation  Trips — Engagement  —  Letters — Study  of 
Theology — Redeeming  the  Time — More  Work — Horseback  Ride 
to  Connecticut — Springfield,  Illinois,  Indianapolis,  Columbus, 
Ohio,  Central  New  York  and  Albany  in  1837  —  Arrival  at 
Home. 

IT  will  ever  be  difficult  to  understand  how  those  sturdy 
farmers  of  New  England  could  feed,  clothe,  and  educate, 
even  in  the  plainest  manner,  families  of  eight  or  ten  children, 
from  one  of  those  rock-bound  and  unproductive  New  Eng- 
land farms.  But  they  did  more  than  this — often  giving 
one  son,  perhaps  two,  a  college  education.  And  we  know 
of  one  Vermont  father  and  mother,  who  through  the  most 
unprecedented  self-denial  sent  five  sons  to  college,  hoping 
all  would  become  ministers  of  the  gospel. 

Such  results  were  not  accomplished  wholly  by  untiring 
industry  and  strict  economy,  but  head,  heart,  and  hands 
worked  together,  and  wrought  out  achievements  worthy  of 
a  monument  to  perpetuate  their  memory.  And  multitudes 
of  monuments  do  exist  with  a  foundation  laid  so  deep  in  the 
hearts  and  lives  of  their  descendants,  as  to  go  on  from 
generation  to  generation  and  endure  forever.  Their  posterity 
is  their  monument. 

When  Mr.  Gaylord's  father  had  spent  one  thousand 
dollars  to  help  the  son  through  the  four  years  in  Yale 
College,  he  said  to  him :  "  There  are  so  many  others  to  care 
for,  I  can  do  little  more  for  you."  From  that  time  he  helped 
himself  as  opportunity  offered,  but  when  his  course  was 
completed  in  the  summer  of  1834,  there  were  expenses  he 


38  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

had  been  unable  to  meet — one  of  them  for  his  graduating 
suit.  Anxious  to  cancel  his  indebtedness,  he  must  have 
been  truly  thankful  for  the  invitation  to  teach  in  New 
Preston.  And  he  there  formed  some  very  pleasant  and 
lasting  friendships  with  his  pupils,  and  amongst  families  in 
the  place. 

Almost  the  only  account  left  on  record  of  this  work  is 
contained  in  the  following  letter : 

New  Preston,  Connecticut,  October  21,  1834. —  Much 
Esteemed  Friend  Martha:  I  received  your  letter  on  Saturday, 
and  it  was  like  "cold  water  to  a  thirsty  soul".  I  was  at  the  office 
waiting  when  the  stage  arrived,  expecting  a  letter  from  my 
parents,  but  in  this  I  was  disappointed. 

You  seem  to  think  New  Preston  is  a  gloomy  place,  and  that 
I  may  be  discontented  here.  But  you  know  it  is  unusual  for  me 
to  be  gloomy  or  melancholy,  and  I  am  not  so  at  the  present 
time.  I  find  nvyself  quite  pleasantly  situated,  and  am  happy 
and  contented. 

This  is  my  sixth  week  of  school ,  and  I  begin  to  look  forward 
to  my  prospective  trip  westward,  which  I  may  undertake  during 
the  winter.  Thanksgiving  will  be  on  the  27th  of  November, 
and  I  hope  to  go  home  at  that  time.  It  is  four  years  since  I 
spent  Thanksgiving  day  at  my  father's  house,  and  I  do  want  to 
be  there  this  year  especially,  as  I  expect  so  soon  to  leave  this 
part  of  the  country.  On  the  whole,  teaching  seems  quite  as 
pleasant  as  I  expected.  I  fear  that  but  few  of  my  scholars  here 
are  Christians,  and  possibly  through  God's  blessing,  I  may  be 
the  means  of  eternal  life  to  some  of  them. 

May  your  health  be  so  improved  that  you  can  go  on  and 
complete  a  thorough  education.  My  love  to  your  father  and 
mother,  and  my  best  wishes  for  your  brother  Myron  in  his 
studies  this  winter. 

You  seem  to  exclaim  with  wonder  at  the  distance  there  will 
be  between  us  when  I  shall  have  gone  west.  To  me,  it  does  not 
seem  much  farther  than  it  did  from  Norfolk  to  New  Haven, 
when  I  first  left  the  paternal  roof  to  enter  college.     I  feel  that 


ILLINOIS    COLLEGE.  39 

it  is  an  opening  I  ought  not  to  neglect,  and  hope  to  be  instru- 
mental in  doing  some  good.  I  have  long  desired  to  see  our 
western  land,  and  now  the  way  seems  prepared  for  me. 

Your  affectionate  uncle,         R.  Gaylokd. 

We  have  no  record  of  Mr.  Gaylord's  feelings  and  those 
of  his  parents  and  friends,  as  he  bade  them  farewell  for 
what  was  then  considered  the  far  west.  Neither  can  we 
read  much  of  his  long  journey  of  three  or  four  weeks,  and 
his  arrival  at  Jacksonville  to  begin  his  work.  This  was 
contained  in  those  lost  letters.  But  he  had  voluntarily 
accepted  this  offer,  which  came  to  him  unsought,  and  the 
above  extract  from  a  letter  to  his  niece  shows  that  he  was 
cheerful  and  happy  in  preparing  to  enter  upon  it.  He  was 
now  in  the  ardor  and  hopefulness  of  youth,  inclined  to  look 
on  the  bright  side,  somewhat  impulsive,  but  with  that  con- 
fident expectation  of  success,  upon  which  no  shadows  had 
then  fallen  from  years  of  hard  experience. 

In  the  year  1827  a  few  students  in  Yale  Theological 
Seminary,  at  New  Haven,  banded  together  to  go  to  Illinois 
to  preach  the  gospel,  and  to  lay  the  foundations  of  an  edu- 
cational institution.  The  names  of  these  young  men  were 
Grosvenor,  Baldwin,  Sturtevant,  Jenny,  Kirby,  Brooks  and 
Turner.  Their  united  efforts  resulted  in  the  founding  of 
Illinois  College,  at  Jacksonville,  in  1829.  All  of  these 
became  trustees  in  the  institution,  and  a  part  of  them  in- 
structors. Rev.  J.  M.  Sturtevant,  one  of  the  number,  began 
the  work  of  teaching  in  a  small  brick  building  with  nine 
boys.  It  was  in  1835,  six  years  later,  that  Mr.  Gay  lord  took 
his  place  as  tutor  in  the  preparatory  department.  Dr.  Ed- 
ward Beecher  had  been  for  four  years  the  honored  president. 
The  close  of  this  college  year  was  signalized  by  the  gradua- 
tion of  the  first  two  students — Jonathan  Spilman  and 
Richard  Yates.  Mr.  Yates  first  entered  public  life  as  a 
member  of  congress  from  Illinois,  and  was  subsequently 
elected  governor  of  the  state. 


40  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

We  here  give  a  few  interesting  facts  pertaining  to  the 
early  religious  history  of  Illinois.  They  are  from  the  pen 
of  Rev.  Theron  Baldwin,  one  of  the  founders  of  the  college, 
and  well-known  as  an  early,  faithful,  and  self-denying  home 
missionary  in  the  state  : 

The  first  settlement  within  the  bounds  of  Illinois  of  immigrants 
from  the  United  States,  was  made  in  Munroe  county  in  1781,  by 
James  Moore,  who  came  there  from  Western  Virginia.  In  1785 
and  1786  the  settlement  was  strengthened  by  a  number  of  families 
from  the  same  region.  They  were  opposed  to  slavery,  and  took 
up  their  long  line  of  march  for  these  wild  regions,  that  themselves 
and  their  posterity  might  enjoy  the  advantages  of  a  country 
unembarrassed  by  it.  *  *  *  The  opportunity  for  these 
hardy  pioneers  to  educate  their  children  was  extremely  small. 
The  first  school  ever  taught  by  American  settlers  was  by  Samuel 
Seely,  in  1783,  and  the  price  of  a  rough,  antiquated  copy  of 
Dilworth's  spelling  book  was  one  dollar,  and  that  dollar  equal  in 
value  to  five  now.  When  Illinois  was  admitted  as  a  state  in  1818, 
its  population  was  not  far  from  50,000.  Previous  to  the  intro- 
duction of  any  gospel  ministry ,  or  the  formation  of  any  religious 
society,  a  portion  of  the  early  settlers  were  in  the  habit  of 
assembling  on  the  Lord's  day,  reading  a  portion  of  Scripture 
•and  frequently  a  sermon,  and  singing  religious  hymns.  These 
meetings  were  often  interrupted  and  sometimes  suspended  by 
Indian  alarms.  No  public  prayer  was  offered,  for  none  had 
professed  religion  or  supposed  themselves  converted.  Tradition 
says,  the  only  person  among  these  pioneers  who  had  ever  belonged 
to  a  church,  was  a  Presbyterian  female.  The  first  Protestant 
minister  who  ever  visited  Illinois  was  Rev .  James  Smith ,  a  Baptist 
from  Kentucky.  His  first  visit  was  in  1788,  the  second  in  1790. 
His  labors  were  blessed  to  the  conversion  of  a  number  of  indi- 
viduals, one  of  whom  became  a  preacher,  and  had  four  sons  enter 
the  ministry,  all  of  them  proving  worthy,  devoted  and  successful 
preachers.  This  was  the  first  revival  ever  known  on  the  "Father 
of  Waters". 


REV.    THERON    BALDWIN.  41 

Froni  the  Home  Missionary  for  June,  1870 : 

Rev.  Theron  Baldwin,  D.  D.,  Corresponding  Secretary  for 
the  Promotion  of  Collegiate  and  Theological  Education  in  the 
"West,  died  in  Orange,  New  Jersey,  April  10,  1870,  in  the  sixty- 
ninth  year  of  his  age.  Dr.  Baldwin  sustained  intimate  relations 
to  the  cause  of  home  missions  during  the  whole  period  of  his 
professional  life.  In  the  spring  of  1833,  he  became  the  general 
agent  of  this  society  for  Illinois  and  Missouri,  and  for  four 
3rears  performed  the  arduous  duties  of  that  office  amid  manifold 
privations  and  perils,  and  with  a  wisdom,  zeal  and  heroism,  for 
which  he  is  still  held  in  honor  over  the  wide  regions  which  he 
traversed,  and  by  tens  of  thousands  who  never  saw  his  face  nor 
heard  his  voice.  Of  his  services  in  securing  the  establishment 
and  endowment  of  Illinois  College,  in  founding  and  superin- 
tending Monticello  Female  Seminary,  and  in  administering  the 
affairs  of  the  Western  College  Society  for  more  than  a  quarter  of 
a  centuiy,  we  cannot  speak  in  this  brief  notice.  During  all 
these  years  his  interest  in  the  home  missionary  work  never 
abated.  By  his  voice,  his  pen,  and  his  prayers  he  ever  sought 
its  advancement.  But  his  memorial  in  the  churches  and  institu- 
tions of  learning,  for  whose  planting  and  nurture  he  so  faith- 
fully toiled,  will  remain  to  be  read  by  a  great  cloud  of  witnesses 
on  earth  and  in  heaven . 

Illinois  College,  Jacksonville,  May  2,  1835. — My  Dear 
Niece:  It  is  nearly  six  weeks  since  I  saw  you  last,  and  the  time 
has  borne  me  away  to  a  distance  of  not  less  than  eleven  hundred 
miles  direct,  or  eighteen  hundred  by  the  course  generally 
traveled.  But  past  scenes  have  not  faded  from  my  mind,  nor 
have  I  forgotten  the  last  evening  I  spent  at  your  house. 

The  particulars  of  my  journey  you  have  doubtless  learned 
from  letters  I  have  written  to  my  friends  at  home,  so  I  will  pro- 
ceed to  tell  you  how  I  am  situated  here.  The  college  building 
is  after  the  plan  of  the  main  building  at  Yale,  four  stories  high 
with  a  basement  in  which  is  the  boarding  hall.  This  is  divided 
lengthwise,  one  of  the  parts  being  used  for  cooking  and  the 
other  for  the  students'  eating  room.      The  officers  all  eat  at  the 


42  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

same  table,  and  the  families  of  the  president  and  professors  also. 
This  is  something  new  to  me,  but  I  think  it  a  wise  regulation, 
and  one  which  tends  to  preserve  good  order  at  the  table. 

I  am  very  much  pleased  with  my  situation,  and  think  it  far 
preferable  to  the  charge  of  an  academy  in  the  east.  I  shall  hear 
five  or  six  recitations  each  da}T,  occupying  as  many  hours, 
together  with  an  hour  or  two  to  prepare.  The  preparation, 
however,  will  require  very  little  time,  as  I  have  been  over  most 
of  the  studies  two  or  three  times  the  past  winter. 

Mr.  Sturtevant  arrived  on  Thursday  of  this  week.  I  traveled 
with  him  only  about  eighty  miles.  Two  of  our  officers  are  east 
— one  on  account  of  trouble  with  his  eyes,  and  our  president  for 
the  purpose  of  raising  funds  for  the  institution.  This  throws 
more  labor  upon  those  who  remain;  but  it  is  not  so  tiresome  to 
hear  five  or  six  recitations  in  a  day  and  be  thorough  with  them, 
as  to  spend  six  or  seven  hours  in  a  school-room,  with  thirty 
students  to  govern  as  well  as  teach. 

You  ma}'  wish  to  know  how  I  like  the  country.  I  was  dis- 
appointed at  first,  as  the  season  was  unusually  backward,  but 
spring  has  at  length  opened  in  all  its  beauty  and  loveliness .  The 
weather  is  warm  and  the  trees  are  springing  into  new  life.  The 
wild  plum,  red  bud,  and  various  other  kinds  are  decked  with 
blossoms.  The  prairie  flowers  are  inviting  the  admirer  of 
nature,  and  showing  the  hand  of  God  and  His  wisdom,  as  much 
as  the  bright  luminary  that  dispenses  its  life-giving  ra}*s  over  all 
">  our  system. 

********** 

Nothing  can  exceed  in  beaut}-  the  situation  of  this  college. 
It  is  on  an  elevation  above  the  surrounding  prairie,  which 
exceeds  in  loveliness  and  fertility  anything  you  ever  saw.  The 
flourishing  village  of  Jacksonville,  one  mile  away,  is  entirely 
overlooked  by  the  college  building,  while  in  the  rear  is  a  charm- 
ing grove,  affording  a  delightful  retreat  for  the  student  either 
of  books  or  nature.  *  *  *  This,  above  all  others,  is  the 
country  for  farmers .  Not  a  stone  to  trouble  him ,  and  he  finds 
all  around  him  the  richest  soil  of  the  easiest  cultivation. 

Last  Thursday  was  to  me  the  beginning  of  new  responsibilities, 


WORK    AS    TUTOR.  43 

and  I  assumed  them  under  circumstances  far  different  from  any  in 
which  I  have  ever  been  placed  before.  But  I  hope  that  the  same 
kind  hand  that  has  hitherto  led  me  in  a  way  that  I  knew  not  and 
has  brought  me  hither  in  safety,  will  grant  me  wisdom  adequate 
to  the  station  which  I  am  called  to  fill. 

September  15. — I  will  try  to  write  in  a  pleasant  strain, 
although  I  was  kept  awake  most  of  last  night  by  that  not  very 
agreeable  companion  the  toothache. 

One  year  ago  I  commenced  school  on  that  bleak  hill  in  New 
Preston.  Now  I  am  only  eleven  hundred  miles  from  that  place, 
but  no  mountain  rears  its  rugged  top,  no  rocks  or  stones  meet 
the  eye,  and  no  little  murmuring  brook  tumbles  over  a  declivity 
or  runs  down  the  hillside,  but  prairies  level  and  smooth  as  the 
ocean's  surface  lie  all  around  us,  and  cornfields  to  an  almost 
boundless  extent  wave  in  the  southern  breeze. 

To-morrow  will  be  our  annual  commencement,  and  two  will 
graduate — the  first  alumni  of  this  infant  institution.  The  long 
summer  term  of  twenty  weeks  has  at  length  come  to  a  successful 
close.  God  has  been  very  good  to  me,  for  since  I  graduated  a 
year  ago  I  have  not  lost  a  single  day  from  illness .  I  think  a  favor- 
able change  has  taken  place  in  nvy  religious  feelings  since  coming 
here.  I  am  able  to  keep  more  constantly  and  vividly  before  my 
mind  the  importance  of  doing  something  every  day  for  the  honor 
of  God.  What  other  object  in  this  world  is  worth  living  for? 
I  am  entirely  contented  and  never  enjoyed  myself  better — 
have  the  best  of  society  and  plenty  of  work  to  fill  up  my  time. 
I  find  the  students  very  pleasant  and  intelligent,  and  during  the 
term  all  things  have  moved  on  smoothly. 

Mr.  Gaylord  commenced  his  labors  as  instructor  in 
Illinois  College  in  the  spring  of  1835.  The  long  summer 
term  of  twenty  weeks  closed  with  commencement,  beginning 
on  September  16.  He  spent  his  first  vacation  in  visiting 
several  families  from  Connecticut,  who  had  emigrated  to 
Illinois  and  settled  in  various  places,  principally  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Round  Prairie,  afterward  called  Plymouth. 


44  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

In  one  of  these  families,  that  of  Nathan  Burton,  Esq.,  was  a 
daughter  once  met  by  Mr.  Gaylord  in  Connecticut  when 
quite  a  young  girl.  She  was  now  a  young  lady  of  seventeen, 
modest  and  retiring  in  her  demeanor,  but  a  decided  and 
lovely  Christian.  The  acquaintance  renewed  at  this  time 
ripened  into  an  attachment,  which  soon  culminated  in  an 
engagement.  His  letters  to  her,  with  an  occasional  one  to 
his  niece,  give  almost  the  only  history  of  the  four  succeed- 
ing years. 

To  Miss  Sarah  Burton : 

Illinois  College,  November  10,  1835. — The  time  has  come 
for  me  to  enter  upon  that  correspondence  which  I  proposed,  and 
to  which  3'ou  consented,  and  I  have  resolved  to  ask  God's 
blessing  in  the  very  commencement  of  it.  I  have  also  resolved 
to  refrain  from  all  that  vain  jesting  and  foolish  levity  which  is 
inconsistent  with  the  interesting  subject  before  us,  and  with  the 
expression  of  our  views  and  feelings  as  Christians.  Entering 
upon  it  with  such  purposes,  I  hope  to  make  it  both  pleasant  and 
profitable . 

I  returned  to  Jacksonville  one  week  since,  after  an  absence 
of  four  weeks,  and  found  it  just  as  pleasant  as  ever.  After 
leaving  your  Prairie,  I  visited  Mr.  Scarborough's  settlement, 
and  spent  the  Sabbath  with  him.  The  next  Wednesday  I  left 
Fairfield  for  home;  walked  to  Griggs ville,  and  was  overtaken 
by  the  rain  two  and  one-half  miles  from  any  house.  Was  "right 
smartly"  sprinkled.  Spent  the  succeeding  Sabbath  at  Naples  and 
heard  Mr.  Sturtevant  preach  two  excellent  sermons. 

I  can  give  }rou  some  interesting  intelligence  in  regard  to 
matters  and  things  in  Jacksonville.  The  efforts  recently  made 
in  the  temperance  cause  have  been  eminently  successful.  A 
large  number  have  signed  the  pledge — among  them  Governor 
Duncan,  who  was  appointed  president  of  the  society  at  their 
annual  meeting .  And  what  is  more  interesting  still ,  we  trust 
he  has  become  a  Christian.  He  united  with  the  Presbyterian 
church  in  this  place  last  Sabbath. 

A  visitation  from  house  to  house,  to  increase  attendance  in 


COLLEGE    ITEMS.  45 

the  Sunday-school  has  been  attended  with  the  happiest  results. 
As  I  went  into  the  school,  after  an  absence  of  four  weeks,  I 
found  my  class  of  nine  young  ladies  glad  to  see  me,  and  was 
gratified  to  find  a  large  addition  to  the  number  of  scholars. 
Growing  out  of  these  efforts  a  united  prayer  meeting  of  all  the 
teachers  in  the  different  schools  has  been  instituted.  One  was 
held  last  evening  and  was  very  interesting.  We  have  some 
noble  hearted  teachers.  Sectarianism  seems  banished  and  true 
Christian  love  appears  to  pervade  almost  every  heart.  We  also 
resolved  to  have  all  the  teachers  and  scholars  meet  monthly  to 
hear  an  address  from  some  one  previously  appointed. 

A  meeting  of  ministers  and  delegates  from  the  Congrega- 
tional churches  in  the  state  has  been  held,  and  the  result  of 
their  deliberations  was  the  adoption  of  a  constitution  and  regu- 
lations, to  be  presented  to  the  churches  for  their  acceptance. 
Those  accepting  will  form  an  association  to  be  called  the  Con- 
gregational Association"  of  Illinois . 

Two  of  our  professors,  Messrs.  Wolcott  and  Post,  have  just 
returned,  bringing  wives  with  them,  and  Professor  Turner  will 
soon  follow.  There  is  quite  a  pleasant  little  romance  connected 
with  Prof.  T.'s  marriage.  He  first  met  the  lady  as  they  were 
traveling  together  in  a  stage  coach  in  Connecticut.  Attracted 
by  her  uncommon  loveliness,  he  sought  her  acquaintance,  and  as 
the  result,  will  soon  bring  her  to  Jacksonville  as  his  beloved 
wife.  It  was  truly  an  instance  of  "love  at  first  sight".  All 
the  instructors  are  now  married  excepting  myself. 

President  Beecher  returned  last  week.  On  Sabbath  after- 
noon he  preached  from  these  words,  "When  iniquity  cometh  in 
like  a  flood,"  etc.  It  was  a  great  sermon.  Our  term  commences 
to-morrow,  and  we  have  the  prospect  of  a  full  school.  I  do 
hope  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  will  preside  over  the  institution  this 
term.  I  saw  a  family  to-day  passing  through  town,  just  from 
Connecticut.  The  name  was  Welles,  and  they  were  from  Tol- 
land. I  find  myself  at  the  commencement  of  a  new  term  in  good 
health,  happy  and  contented,  and  delightfully  situated  in  the 


46  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

southeast  corner  of  the  old  building,  in  the  second  story,  over- 
looking the  town. 

I  shall  hope  for  an  answer  to  this  as  soon  as  convenient, 
containing  a  sketch  of  your  feelings  relative  to  the  important 
subject  before  us.  Let  these  be  expressed,  on  both  your  part 
and  mine,  with  all  that  candor  and  frankness  which  is  so  desir- 
able. Give  my  love  to  your  parents,  brothers,  and  sisters,  and 
keep  as  much  for  yourself  as  3Tou  think  proper. 

R.  Gaylord. 

To  Miss  Martha  Gaylord  : 

Illinois  College,  December,  1835. — Ever  Dear  Niece: — 
It  is  about  three  months  since  I  received  your  letter ,  and  it  truly 
gave  me  great  pleasure  to  hear  from  one  in  whom  I  feel  a  deep 
and  increasing  interest. 

The  messenger,  death,  is  still  active,  as  I  learn  from  yours 
and  one  subsequently  received  from  Edmund  Aikin,  giving  an 
account  of  the  death  of  Laura  Thompson  and  other  young  people 
in  Norfolk.  But  I  often  think  it  matters  little  how  soon  the 
messenger  comes  to  us.  All  we  need  to  concern  ourselves  about 
is  to  do  our  Master's  will,  and  be  found  watching,  when  He  shall 
call  for  us. 

Since  I  last  wrote  you ,  we  have  passed  through  commence- 
ment, had  a  vacation  of  eight  weeks,  and  now  six  weeks  of 
another  term  are  already  gone.  I  spent  the  vacation  mostly  in 
rambling  about  the  country  visiting  old  acquaintances  and  form- 
ing new  ones.  Much  of  the  country  is  new,  not  having  been 
settled  more  than  two  or  three  }rears.  The  houses  in  which  our 
Connecticut  friends  are  living  are  built  of  logs,  sometimes  hewn 
and  sometimes  not — one  story  high — about  twenty  feet  square 
and  all  in  one  room.  The  roof  is  covered  with  boards  split  out 
from  the  logs,  and  doors  are  made  of  the  same  material.  The 
chimne}''  is  on  the  outside,  built  occasionally  of  stone,  but  gener- 
ally of  turf,  and  topped  out  cob-house  fashion  with  small  split 
sticks.  The  floors  are  made  of  puncheons,  which  are  short  plank 
also  split  from  logs,  and  hewn  partially  smooth  on  one  side. 
These  puncheons  do  not  often  fit  very  closel}T  together. 

There  are  usually  two  or  three  beds.     If  two,  one  in  each 


VACATION    TRIPS.  47 

corner  of  the  side  opposite  the  chimney,  with  a  bureau  between, 
over  which  hangs  a  looking-glass.  However  large  the  family, 
all  must  sleep  in  the  one  room .  You  might  think  they  would  be 
discontented  after  leaving  the  comforts  of  their  eastern  homes 
but  the}*  are  generally  contented  and  happy,  for  they  do  not 
expect  to  live  in  this  vra,y  an}T  longer  than  is  necessary.  Land  is 
fast  rising  in  value  and  a  moderate  sum  judiciously  invested  will 
make  a  man  independent  in  a  few  years. 

This  state  is  increasing  rapidly  in  population  and  importance. 
In  1821  there  were  but  twenty  families  in  this  county,  now  there 
are  19,214  people,  1,700  in  this  town  (Jacksonville).  The 
emigration  to  this  state  is  immense.  There  was  a  constant  stream 
of  it  in  the  fall  from  every  quarter  and  of  every  kind. 

During  vacation  I  delivered  some  temperance  lectures,  and 
conducted  meetings  on  the  Sabbath  three  or  four  times.  I  spent 
a  week  at  Fairfield  with  Mr .  Kasson  and  Myron  Gay  lord .  They 
are  much  pleased  with  the  country,  but  there  is  a  great  destitu- 
tion of  religious  privileges,  and  when  I  look  at  this,  I  long  to  be 
in  the  field,  ready  to  engage  in  the  Master's  work. 

The  Sabbath  school  is  doing  great  good  and  its  influence  is 
already  invaluable.  Our  school  numbers  ninety-seven.  I  am 
superintendent  and  am  deeply  interested  in  it. 

To  his  niece: 

Round  Prairie,  April  13,  1836. —  *  *  *  It  is  now  the 
middle  of  my  spring  vacation,  and  I  have  been  highly  pleased 
with  ray  residence  in  the  country  thus  far.  I  have  traveled 
more  than  two  hundred  miles  the  past  week,  and  returned  with 
increasing  vigor.  Visited  Rushville,  the  county  seat  of  Schuyler 
county,  and  passed  through  Beardstown.  I  am  now  in  the 
northeast  corner  of  the  count}-,  where  Mr.  Kasson  lives,  and 
several  others  who  came  out  from  Connecticut  last  spring.  I 
find,  as  I  travel  through  the  country,  people  everywhere  agree- 
able and  hospitable.  Am  quite  favorably  impressed  with  the 
character  of  the  settlers  from  Kentucky.  The  emigrants  to 
this  state  are  generally  enterprising  and  intelligent  people  from 
all  parts  of  the  United  States.      Illinois  bids  fair  to  become  one 


48  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

of  the  first  states  in  the  Union  in  point  of  wealth,  population,  and 
intelligence. 

In  my  travels  I  forded  Crooked  creek  and  Spoon  river,  the 
former  four  feet  deep.  Visited  Canton,  which  was  nearly 
destroyed  by  a  tornado  last  summer,  but  is  now  rebuilt.  It  has 
a  church  of  one  hundred  and  fifteen  members,  and  an  interesting 
revival  is  now  in  progress.  At  Peoria  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  a  classmate,  very  unexpectedly  to  both  of  us.  He 
took  me  home  with  him,  a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles  north- 
east. After  traveling  fourteen  miles  we  came  to  a  large  cabin, 
and  on  entering  were  introduced  to  a  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coolidge 
from  Boston.  I  found  them  very  intelligent  people,  and  every- 
thing bore  an  air  of  neatness  and  comfort  rarely  surpassed  in  the 
country.  A  book-case  filled  with  books  stood  opposite  the  door, 
and  a  table  spread  with  delicacies  occupied  the  center  of  the 
apartment.  A  hunter  lived  with  them  who  had  roamed  over 
these  wilds  for  the  last  eight  3Tears,  and  could  tell  of  many  a 
wolf  and  deer  that  had  fallen  by  his  unerring  aim.  I  shall 
return  to  Jacksonville  in  about  ten  days,  and  resume  my  labors 
there  for  the  next  term. 

Letters  to  Miss  Burton : 

Illinois  College,  April  28,  1836. — This  day  is  one  of 
peculiar  interest  to  me .  It  is  a  way  mark — a  stopping  place  from 
which  to  view  the  past  and  look  forward  to  the  future.  In  other 
words  it  is  my  birthday,  and  completes  the  twenty-fourth  year 
of  my  short  life.        *  *       In  looking  back  over  the  past 

year  I  can  feel  that  this  has  been  one  of  the  most  eventful  and 
interesting  of  all  those  years,  and  while  I  see  much  to  regret,  I 
am  conscious  that  I  have  enjo3red  more  sensibly  the  presence  of 
God ,  and  have  felt  more  and  more  strongly  my  entire  dependence 
on  Him  for  wisdom  and  guidance  in  all  things.  And  it  has 
brought  a  very  important  and  to  me  highly  interesting  change  in 
my  relations — a  change  in  which  I  doubt  not  I  have  had  the 
direction  of  superior  wisdom.  *  *         * 

I  do  not  expect  my  labors  in  the  college  to  be  as  arduous  this 
summer  as  they  have  been  the  past  year.  Much  of  the  time  I 
can  command,   aside  from  the  duties  of  instruction,  I  intend 


LETTERS.  49 

devoting  to  the  study  of  Hebrew .    Our  institution  is  likely  to  be 
filled  this  term  with  a  better  class  of  students  than  usual . 

I  have  been  deliberating  in  regard  to  my  return  to  New 
Haven  for  my  Theological  course,  but  have  not  yet  fixed  upon 
the  time.  I  intend  to  commit  niyself  to  the  direction  of  Provi- 
dence, and  follow  what  seems  to  be  the  path  of  duty.  Nothing 
can  produce  more  real  satisfaction  than  an  implicit  reliance  upon 
God  for  guidance  and  help  in  regard  to  all  our  plans. 

I  do  not  expect  to  keep  our  engagement  secret,  and  it  is  in 
vain  for  us  to  try.  An  open,  frank  avowal  when  it  cannot  be 
avoided  without  equivocation,  is  the  only  upright  and  honora- 
able  course  to  pursue.  This  will  secure  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  those  who  are  worthy  of  our  regard,  and  free  us  from  many 
petty  annoyances  which  an  opposite  course  might  bring  upon  us . 

I  study  from  four  to  five  hours  each  day  besides  hearing 
the  recitations.  Am  expecting  a  visit  from  a  Norfolk  friend,  a 
young  man  near  my  own  age,  and  shall  be  glad  to  welcome  him 
to  this  delightful  College  Hill.  Our  Sabbath  school  continues 
prosperous.  I  have  spent  two  Saturday  afternoons  in  visiting 
from  house  to  house  among  the  parents  of  the  scholars  and 
found  it  pleasant  and  profitable.  Recently  had  a  very  pleasant 
interview  with  Mr.  Carter  and  his  lovely  family,  consisting  of 
wife,  six  little  daughters  and  an  infant  son.  The  children  are 
the  joy  of  their  parents,  and  the  hope  of  the  church,  for  they 
are  children  of  the  covenant  and  are  taught  to  obey  God  and 
their  parents.  On  the  Fourth  of  July  we  had  a  flaming  oration 
in  favor  of  liberty  and  equality  and  a  visit  of  troops  from 
Springfield.  The  college  faculty  were  invited  to  partake  of  a 
dinner  provided  by  the  citizens,  but  declined.  The  next  day 
our  Governor  gave  them  a  dinner  at  his  own  expense. 

Illinois  College,  August  21,  1836. — I  acknowledge  with 
pleasure  the  receipt  of  your  truly  welcome  letter  received  last 
Thursday.  It  did  me  good  to  read  it  over  and  over  again.  The 
anxiety  expressed  in  my  last  arose  from  an  apprehension  that 
some  letter  of  yours  had  failed  to  reach  me.  But  when  I  came 
to  know  that  you  were  one  of  fifteen  that  make  up  a  family 

5 


50  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

living  in  a  log  cabin,  I  felt  that  you  were  entirely  excusable  for 
the  delay. 

While  returning  from  Mr.  C.'s  yesterday  afternoon,  not  far 
from  five  o'clock,  a  meteor  shot  through  the  heavens,  moving 
very  rapidly  in  a  northeasterly  direction.  It  appeared  like  a 
small  but  most  brilliant  globe  of  fire,  with  a  train  of  considerable 
length,  leaving  behind  it  a  thin  blue  smoke  which  remained 
visible  for  twenty  minutes.  Seen  at  evening  it  would  have  been 
a  most  splendid  object.  Several  persons  heard  a  report  like 
distant  thunder.         ******** 

It  is  becoming  somewhat  sickly  in  the  village.  A  young 
man  who  was  a  stranger  here  died  on  Monday  last.  It  is  said 
he  was  to  have  been  married  about  the  time  of  his  death.  Prof. 
Turner  has  been  sick  about  ten  days  with  a  slow  fever,  which 
has  finally  run  into  chills  and  fever. 

Bachelor  Hall, October  5,1836. — My  Dear  Friend  Sarah: 
I  will  give  you  some  account  of  my  jaunt  during  vacation. 
After  leaving  your  house,  I  rode  on  leisurely  until  I  came  to 
Esq.  Archer's.  After  dinner  launched  out  into  the  Eighteen 
Mile  Prairie.  It  was  a  somewhat  lonely  ride,  however,  until  I 
reached  Father  Mathews'  about  sunset,  where  I  spent  the  night 
very  pleasantly.  They  were  glad  to  see  one  who  loved  the  Lord 
and  His  cause.  Started  at  nine  next  morning,  and  after  travel- 
ing eight  miles,  came  to  the  flourishing  village  of  Eochester,  on 
Spoon  river.  I  was  detained  by  the  rain,  but  reached  Canton 
about  dusk,  and  put  up  at  Mr.  Welby's  in  his  new  house.  A 
camp-meeting  was  in  progress,  which  I  attended  on  the  Sabbath, 
and  enjoyed  it  very  much.  Dr.  Nelson  preached  in  the  morning 
on  "Prophecy" — a  most  excellent  discourse — but  his  strength 
gave  out  before  he  got  through,  so  that  he  was  compelled  to 
stop  in  the  middle  of  a  sentence.  Mr.  Hale  preached  in  the 
afternoon,  and  a  dozen  or  more  presented  themselves  as  inquirers. 
It  was  a  good  day  to  me.  Monday  morning  I  left  for  the  north, 
expecting  to  cross  the  river  at  Pekin,  but  before  I  was  aware  of 
it,  found  myself  four  miles  above,  and  within  six  miles  of  Peoria. 
Accordingly  I  went  on  and  crossed  the  river  there — consequently 
failed  of  visiting  Mr.  Bascom  as   I  intended.      I  spent  night 


TEACHING    AND    STUDY.  51 

before  last  with  a  Methodist  brother,  in  a  little  cabin  in  the 
timber.  I  fared  better  than  my  horse,  for  I  could  get  nothing 
for  him  but  about  six  quarts  of  oats  and  corn,  and  he  was  so 
hungry  that  he  ate  up  his  halter  before  morning.  Oh,  how  I 
did  pity  the  poor  dumb  animal! 

Rode  on  in  the  morning  to  Washington,  and  found  ice 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick.  Traveled  over  prairie  most  of  the 
day — sometimes  with  no  timber  in  sight.  The  prairie  is  very 
rolling  and  beautiful.  Was  very  well  entertained  twelve  miles 
from  here  last  night.  Rode  on  in  the  morning,  before  break- 
fast, and  found  Sheldon  Whittlesey  in  his  bachelor  home.  Shall 
call  at  Mr.  Hatch's  this  evening.  Mr.  Whittlesey  was  expecting 
to  start  for  Galena  to-morrow,  if  I  had  not  come,  as  he  did  not 
receive  my  letter.  We  shall  go  on  together  towards  Galena  in 
the  morning.  I  anticipate  some  pleasure  in  visiting  the  lead 
mines,  and  shall  probably  spend  next  Sabbath  there.  Cannot 
mark  out  my  course  after  that,  but  may  strike  down  through 
the  western  counties  towards  home.  I  am  feeling  well,  and 
enjoying  my  journey  greatly. 

Have  much  more  to  say,  but  must  wait  till  I  see  you  again. 
Tell  your  brother  Henry  his  coat  has  done  me  much  good. 
Without  it  I  would  have  been  uncomfortably  cold  on  the  camp 
ground . 

I  have  traveled  the  greater  part  of  the  way  alone,  until  yes- 
terday, and  you  have  been  very  much  in  mjr  thoughts.  Often 
does  the  silent  prayer  go  up  that  the  Lord  may  bless  you,  watch 
around  you,  and  keep  }rou  always. 

Illinois  College,  Jacksonville,  November  23. — My  Dear 
Sarah  :  The  last  week  has  been  a  busy  one  and  now  my  sails  are 
fully  spread  for  another  term.  Four  hours  for  recitation  and 
one  or  two  in  preparation.  The  rest  I  spend  in  study,  to  be 
divided  for  the  present  between  Hebrew  and  mental  philosophy. 
Yesterday  I  dined  with  Prof.  Turner  at  his  residence,  and  this 
evening  took  tea  at  Mr.  Jenny's.  I  am  in  very  good  spirits 
for  the  duties  before  me,  for  the  jaunts  of  vacation  have  restored 
strength  and  vigor  to  my  system,  which  was  somewhat  debili- 
tated at  the  close  of  m}-  long  summer  term. 


52  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLOKD. 

Our  students  have  not  all  returned,  owing  to  the  unpleasant 
weather  and  deep  mud,  but  the}r  are  coining  in  dail}'  and  new 
ones  also.  One  whom  we  were  expecting  comes  not,  for  he  has 
finished  his  earthly  career  and  entered  upon  the  untried  realities 
of  another  world.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Freshman  class  and 
an  ornament  to  it  also.  But  he  is  gone,  after  an  illness  of  twenty 
days  with  congestive  fever.  *         *         * 

A  letter  from  my  cousin  in  Yale  College  says  there  are  one 
hundred  and  ten  students  in  the  Freshman  class,  and  one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  in  the  Sophomore.  *         *         *         * 

A  New  York  paper,  under  the  head  of  marriages,  mentions 
those  of  Rev.  Mr.  Eldridge  and  3Iiss  Sarah  Battell,  and  Mr. 
Humphrey  and  Miss  Urania  Battell  of  Norfolk,  Connecticut,  and 
the  report  is,  that  Philip  B.,  one  of  the  brothers,  is  soon  to  link 
his  destinies  with  a  lady  from  Middlebury,  Vermont. 

A  disquisition  on  some  of  your  studies,  particularly  mental 
philosophy,  might  be  profitable  to  you,  and  would  be  pleasant 
to  me. 

December  25. — My  Dearest  Friend:  I  wish  the  aspect  of 
religious  things  was  more  cheering  in  the  village.  The  Presby- 
terian church  is  very  much  divided,  and  I  fear  will  separate 
permanently.  When  will  those  who  profess  to  be  the  disciples 
of  Christ  learn  to  love  one  another  ?  Till  that  time  comes  the 
world  will  never  be  converted. 

In  reviewing  the  year  and  referring  to  his  engagement 
with  Miss  Burton,  he  writes  to  her: 

This  subject  has  given  me  many  happy  hours  in  my  seasons 
of  reflection ,  and  at  this  moment  those  cords  of  attachment  which 
bind  me  to  }-ou  and  which  are  so  heartily  reciprocated,  are,  I 
doubt  not,  working  a  silent  but  powerful  influence  on  my  char- 
acter and  guiding  all  my  plans.  *  *  *  While 
letters  should  be  written  with  care,  and  as  giving  vent  to  the 
overflowings  of  a  full  mind  and  heart,  still  they  may  be  made 
not  only  an  amusement,  but  a  source  of  the  highest  profit. 
*         *         *          *       The  marriage  state  is  likened  to  a  school, 


FRONTIER    SLEIGHING.  53 

ill  which  the  parties  are  alike  teachers  and  taught,  each  learn- 
ing from  the  other,  and  both  finding  something  new  to  learn. 
The  school  once  begun  there  is  no  vacation  or  change  of 
teachers.        *         *         *         *         *         *         **         * 

Your  object,  during  the  time  you  spend  in  school,  should  be 
not  to  finish  your-  education  and  then  put  your  books  aside,  but 
rather  to  place  a  good  foundation  for  the  future,  to  form  habits 
of  study  and  reflection,  to  lay  down  general  principles.  In 
short,  you  should  consider  these  months  as  a  sort  of  preparatory 
course,  to  fit  you  to  enter  upon  the  wider  and  more  extended 
field  which  will  then  open  before  you.  Viewed  in  this  light, 
how  interesting  does  the  future  appear  to  a  mind  desirous  of 
improvement.  I  feel  that  I  have  but  just  begun  to  learn,  and 
hope  to  keep  at  it  all  my  life ,  however  long  or  short  it  may  be . 
If  we  believe  that  the  mental  powers  continue  to  expand,  not 
only  in  this  world,  but  throughout  eternity,  how  should  the 
thought  stimulate  us  to  constant  and  vigorous  action  in  the 
pursuit  of  knowledge.  It  will  be  my  purpose  to  furnish  my 
library  (for  a  good  library  I  mean  to  have)  with  standard  works, 
not  only  on  divinity,  but  also  on  science,  history,  biography, 
poetry,  and  literature  in  general. 

If  we  read  by  ourselves,  we  should  often  stop  and  think,  as 
we  proceed,  but  it  is  better  for  two  to  read  together,  and  con- 
verse, and  dwell  upon  any  new  thoughts  until  they  make  them 
their  own.  We  are  social  beings,  and  as  such  are  bound  to 
cultivate  our  social  feelings.  To  do  this  we  must  engage  in 
conversation. 

January   23,  1837. —  *         *         *         This  winter  has 

been  somewhat  peculiar  for  Illinois,  and  it  has  amused  me  not  a 
little  to  witness  all  the  expedients  that  have  been  adopted  for 
getting  around  upon  the  snow.  Even  I  myself  have  not  been 
behind  the  spirit  of  the  age  in  this  respect.  Just  before  the 
deep  snow  came,  I  cut  a  couples  of  poles  in  the  grove,  and  in 
the  course  of  the  day  constructed  a  real  New  England  jumper, 
which  is  in  very  good  repute,  and  has  been  used  more  or  less  by 
all  the  literati  here.     Mr.  Blatchford  and  I  took  the  first  ride, 


54  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

but  just  as  we  got  to  town  the  horse  turned  us  into  the  snow, 
and  then  went  on  and  left  us  to  take  care  of  ourselves. 

A  week  ago  last  Saturday,  Mr.  Jenny  and  myself  went  to 
Winchester  to  spend  the  Sabbath,  and  had  a  very  pleasant  time. 
I  have  finished  the  book  on  Iceland  and  found  it  very  interesting. 
How  go  your  studies  now  ?  How  much  longer  does  school  con- 
tinue and  what  are  your  arrangements  after  it  closes  ?  Miss 
Price,  teacher  of  the  Female  Seminary  has  resigned,  and  the 
school  will  pass  into  other  hands.  Mr.  Jenny  is  to  act  as  agent 
for  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society  for  six  months,  and  will 
begin  the  work  soon  after  Mr.  Coffin  returns,  who  is  daily 
expected . 

February  4. — I  need  no  argument  to  convince  you  of  the 
importance  of  cultivating  the  talent  for  conversation,  which 
everyone  possesses  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  and  that  it  can  be 
turned  to  veiy  great  account  by  one  who  seeks  to  be  useful. 
You  are  aware  there  are  three  classes,  those  who  talk  too  much, 
those  who  say  too  little,  and  those  who  pursue  a  medium 
course.  Wisdom  and  knowledge  must  be  the  foundation,  and  in 
the  practice,  a  free  use  of  good  common  sense.  Ignorance, 
bashf ulness,  a  want  of  interest  in  those  around  us,  or  in  what 
they  are  saying,  are  very  great  hindrances.  We  can  often  help 
persons  who  belong  to  either  of  these  classes  by  suggesting 
topics  with  which  they  are  familiar.  If  one  is  silent  long  in 
company,  he  is  apt  to  be  set  down  as  deficient  in  knowledge,  or  as 
misanthropic.  Says  one  writer  in  giving  advice  to  a  lady  on 
this  subject:  "  Never  attempt  to  shine  in  conversation  by  using 
expressions  not  intelligible  to  the  company  you  are  in.  The 
more  easy,  simple,  and  natural  the  better.  And  never  refuse  to 
take  the  lead  when  it  obviously  falls  to  your  lot  to  do  so." 
*  *  *  The  same  writer  suggests  a  method  of  reading 
the  Bible  which  pleases  me,  and  which  I  will  recommend  to  you. 
It  is  to  read  the  Bible  through  by  course,  taking  three  chap- 
ters and  three  psalms  each  day  for  six  days  in  the  week,  and 
two  on  the  Sabbath.      This  will  complete  the  book  in  one  year. 

February  28. — My  Dear  Sarah:  I  have  been  greatly  inter- 
ested in  reading  again  your  two  letters  received  since  I  last  wrote. 


MENTAL    PHILOSOPHY.  55 

I  bless  God  for  that  spirit  which  shows  that  you  long  to  know 
and  walk  in  the  path  of  duty.  *         *  We  mnst 

learn  to  meet  people  on  common  ground  if  we  would  be  useful 
to  them.  So  far  as  is  right,  we  should  allow  them  their  peculiar 
notions  and  views,  and  learn  like  Paul  "to  become  all  things  to 
all  men  that  we  may  save  some."  *  *  *  *  I  do  not 
wonder  that  you  are  pleased  with  the  magnificent  science  of 
astronomy.  You  seem  to  have  already  become  quite  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  constellations.  For  your  teacher  I  entertain 
a  very  high  regard . 

There  is  one  point  in  your  last  very  interesting  to  my  mind, 
and  most  important  in  its  bearings  upon  society.  It  is  the  "habit 
of  correct  association,"  which  you  mentioned  as  a  part  of  your 
lesson.  Probably  there  is  no  one  principle  which  enters  more 
radically  into  the  formation  and  development  of  character  than 
this.  It  is  the  basis  of  the  truth,  "Train  up  a  child  in  the  way 
he  should  go,  and  when  he  is  old  he  will  not  depart  from  it." 
How  fortunate  are  those  whose  early  associations  have  been 
carefully  guarded  by  kind  parents  and  friends,  and  how  unfor- 
tunate those  who  have  not  been  thus  guarded,  for  bad  associa- 
tions will  continually  come  up  to  trouble  and  distress  even  those 
who  are  helped  and  restrained  by  the  all-powerful  grace  of  God. 
But  this  theme  is  too  fruitful  for  the  limits  of  a  letter.  I  am 
already  looking  forward  to  the  spring  vacation,  and  wish  to 
make  the  most  of  it  for  the  more  perfect  assimilation  of  our 
minds,  and  in  laying  plans  for  our  mutual  improvement.  Thank 
you  for  the  outlines  of  that  sermon.  Such  a  theme  clothed  in 
eloquent  language,  and  thrown  out  from  the  deep  emotions  of  a 
heart  filled  with  love  of  God,  must  have  been  interesting.  *    * 

Are  you  not  surprised  sometimes  at  the  satisfaction  you 
derive  in  studying  mental  philosophy,  from  the  fact  that  you 
are  able  to  trace  the  distinct  operations  of  the  mind  when  carry- 
ing on  a  train  of  thought  ?  Perhaps  you  had  the  same  train  of 
thought  before,  but  could  not  trace  it  because  your  mind  had 
not  been  turned  particularly  to  it.  Or,  if  you  had  apprehended 
the  principles  in  some  degree,  you  now  arrive  at  a  certainty, 
from  finding  the  same  in  the  experience  of  others,  and  this  cer- 


5G  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLOED. 

tainty  fixes  y our  own  mind  and  administers  to  your  enjoyment. 
My  mind  has  been  much  interested  in  the  subject  of  Christian 
growth,  and  I  am  resolved  to  live  a  more  devoted  life.  I  wish 
you  to  consider  the  question,  How  can  this  end  be  best  attained? 
The  last  day  of  another  winter  is  passing  away,  and  its  scenes 
are  filling  up  for  the  final  record.  I  have  been  happy  in  my 
work  this  winter,  and  ought  to  be  very  thankful  for  the  good- 
ness I  have  experienced.  *  *  *  *  President  Beecher, 
who  is  absent  raising  funds  for  the  college,  writes  from  Galena 
that  the  Lord  is  there  by  His  Spirit,  and  some  of  the  most  prom- 
inent men  have  come  out  on  the  Lord's  side.  A  good  work  is 
going  on  in  Alton,  and  in  Winchester  a  meeting  has  been  held, 
and  many  young  men  hopefully  converted.  A  Union  Presby- 
terian church  has  been  formed  there,  so  the  Lord  has  not  for- 
saken the  people.  *  •  *  *  A  letter  from  Mr.  S. 
Whittlesey  tells  of  the  sudden  death  of  a  man  who  was  living  in 
his  house  when  I  visited  him.  He  left  home  for  a  cow,  but  not 
returning,  a  search  was  instituted  and  he  was  found  drowned  in 
about  eight  inches  of  water.  *  *  *  *  We  have  just 
received  and  opened  a  very  superior  collection  of  philosophical 
apparatus  direct  from  Paris.  It  has  arrived  in  very  good  con- 
dition . 

March  20. — My  Dear  Sarah:  *  *  *  Rode 
fifteen  miles  before  breakfast — all  the  way  from  Winchester, 
where  I  spent  the  Sabbath .  Would  that  I  had  the  pen  of  a  ready 
writer,  so  that  I  could  paint  something  of  the  glory  and  beauty 
of  this  glorious  morning!  I  arose  at  five,  and  left  the  house 
with  a  light  step,  so  as  not  to  disturb  the  inmates,  and  mounted 
my  horse  just  at  "daj-break."  The  moon  had  nearly  completed 
her  upper  circuit,  and  was  fast  dipping  into  the  western  ocean. 
The  air  was  mild  and  calm  and  the  birds  sang  merrily.  After 
proceeding  about  four  miles,  the  king  of  day  appeared  in  the 
east,  and  never  was  sunrise  more  beautiful  or  enrapturing.  The 
clear  expanse  of  heaven  above  the  belt  of  smoky  vapor  that  lay 
along  the  horizon,  and  the  sun  rising  majestically  above  the 
trees,  appearing  of  unusual  size  as  the  rays  were  dispersed  by 
the  mist  and  smoke — all  combined  to  form  a  scene  at  once  grand 


HIGH    WATER.  57 

and  beautiful.  It  was  well  calculated  to  inspire  elevating  and 
devout  feelings  and  to  kindle  all  the  finer  sensibilities  of  the 
soul . 

But  I  want  to  write  something  about  the  state  of  things  in 
"Winchester.  The  work  of  the  Lord  still  continues  there,  and 
one  interesting  feature  of  it  is  that  all  denominations  of  Chris- 
tians work  together  in  perfect  harmony.  Two  young  men 
united  with  the  church  yesterda}^  and  were  baptized  by  immer- 
sion. There  has  been  a  complete  change  in  the  religious 
character  of  the  place.  Pres.  Beecher  has  returned  and  brings 
good  news  from  Galena. 

Erie,  Illinois  Rivee,  April  5,  1837. — I  left  Jacksonville 
this  morning  and  came  on  very  pleasantly  until  I  reached  the 
river,  which  was  about  three  o'clock.  After  waiting  an  hour 
for  the  ferry-boat,  I  came  within  half  a  mile  of  this  place.  With 
a  single  exception,  the  river  is  higher  than  has  been  known  since 
the  settlement  of  the  country.  The  bottoms  are  covered  with 
water,  save  here  and  there  a  small  spot  which  happens  to  be 
somewhat  elevated.  The  boat  brought  me  two  miles,  and  left 
me  with  a  compan}^  of  others  on  one  of  these  little  islands.  We 
wished  to  go  about  two  miles  further,  but  soon  after  we  landed 
ascertained  that  the  boat  would  not  make  another  trip  this 
evening,  and  there  seemed  no  alternative  but  to  pass  the  night 
on  this  little  spot,  entirely  surrounded  by  water,  in  the  midst  of 
fifty  or  sixty  strangers,  with  nothing  for  myself  or  horse  to  eat. 
This  was  not  very  pleasant  in  anticipation,  and,  while  delibera- 
ting what  to  do,  I  learned  that  it  might  be  possible  to  reach 
Erie,  half  a  mile  up  the  river.  I  mounted  nvy  horse  and  rode 
through  the  water  all  the  wa}r,  found  a  comfortable  place  to 
lodge,  and  am  now  seated  b}*  a  good  fire  in  the  midst  of  an 
interesting  family.  Although  the  water  runs  freely  under  the 
house  and  I  sailed  to  the  stable  in  a  skiff  to  take  care  of  my 
horse,  }ret  I  have  had  a  good  supper  and  my  horse  a  dry  stall, 
and  doubt  not  I  shall  sleep  soundly  till  morning  light. 

It  was  on  one  night  during  this  trip  that  his  bed  was  a 


58  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

pile  of  shavings,  on  which  he  slept  sweetly  and  for  which 
he  was  very  thankful. 

Illinois  College,  May  11. —        *  *  You  will 

recollect  I  said  something  about  the  union  of  Presbyterian  and 
Congregational  churches  in  Jacksonville.  A  committee  was 
appointed  to  attend  to  the  matter,  and  last  Monday  they  re- 
ported in  favor  of  union.  *  *  *  *  I  will  now  give 
you  the  histoiy  of  one  day  as  a  sample  of  the  manner  in  which 
I  spend  my  time  :  Breakfast  at  6:30.  Spend  a  season  previous 
in  reading  our  daily  portion  of  Scripture  and  prayer.  Prayers 
at  seven.  From  that  time  to  eight  prepare  for  recitations, which 
I  hear  from  eight  to  ten.  From  ten  to  twelve  read  church 
history,  in  which  I  am  very  much  interested.  From  twelve  to 
one.  dinner  and  recreation.  From  one  to  three,  study  Greek. 
I  intend  to  read  the  Greek  Testament  through  this  term.  Three 
to  five,  hear  recitations.     After  five,  study  Hebrew. 

Mr.  Gaylord  seems  early  to  have  formed  the  habit  of 
economizing  time.  Possibly  the  great  value  set  upon  it  was 
innate — inherited  from  his  parents.  Something  else  which 
he  possessed  of  great  worth  was  also  an  inheritance.  This 
was  a  strong  constitution  and  perfect  health.  From  the 
above  exhibit  of  his  daily  employment,  it  is  inferred  that 
"  Redeeming  the  time  "  must  have  been  his  motto.  As  the 
months  passed  on,  his  love  for,  and  devotion  to,  his  chosen 
life-work  gathered  strength,  and  his  anxiety  for  the  needful 
preparation  to  enter  upon  it  increased.  Thus  we  see  that 
during  those  years  of  teaching  in  Illinois  College,  all  the 
hours  not  needed  for  his  work  were  carefully  saved,  and 
employed  in  systematic  Theological  studies,  with  the  help 
and  under  the  careful  supervision  of  President  Edward 
Beecher.  In  these  he  had  made  such  progress  that  in  one 
year  after  entering  Yale  Theological  Seminary  on  his 
return  to  New  Haven,  he  was  sent  forth  to  preach  the 
gospel.  But  in  doing  this  he  drew  too  heavily  upon  the 
resources  of  a  pliable  and  elastic  constitutional  tempera- 


GOOD    ADVICE.  59 

merit,  and  we  find  him  at  the  close  of  those  long  terms  in 
Jacksonville,  complaining  of  great  weariness.  He  seemed 
especially  worn  and  weary,  when  the  finishing  up  of 
those  two  and  one-half  years  released  him  from  his  work 
and  enabled  him  to  prepare  for  his  long  journey  homeward. 

Illinois  College,  May  30,  1837. — Dear  Sarah:  I  am  happy 
to  hear  that  you  are  pleased  with  the  languages,  and  have  no 
doubt  but  that  your  interest  will  increase  as  you  advance.  If 
you  have  a  taste  for  them,  I  trust  you  will  pursue  them  to  a 
considerable  extent.  Let  me  repeat  the  suggestion  to  be 
thorough  in  the  grammar,  especially  in  the  declensions  and  con- 
jugations .  Make  free  use  of  the  large  dictionary  I  send  you  in 
regard  to  verbs.  You  will  read  Stewart  some  every  day  until 
you  finish  it — say  fifteen  pages  if  3~ou  find  time.  You  will 
accomplish  most  to  have  system — some  given  time  for  each 
study.         *         *         *         **         *  '       *         * 

Our  church  matters  are  not  fully  settled,  but  when  they  are 
I   will   give  you   a  chapter.         *  *         Mr.    Kasson's 

people  took  me  entirefy  by  surprise.  I  had  been  out  to  call  on 
Mrs.  Jenny,  and  on  returning  found  them  looking  for  me. 
This  is  a  beautiful  day,  and  we  have  been  out  to  the  mound. 
AVe  took  Scofield  with  us  and  had  a  delightful  ride.  I  have 
enjoyed  their  visit  greatly.  Am  sometimes  nearly  sick  with 
headache,  caused  b}*  too  close  application  to  study  and  too 
little  exercise. 

I  have  concluded  to  go  back  to  Connecticut  this  fall  on 
horseback,  so  I  shall  keep  my  horse,  and  ride  for  exercise.  My 
reasons  for  going  this  way  are  briefly  these:  I  shall  be  so  much 
reduced  by  the  summer  term  of  study  and  instruction  as  to  need 
recruiting,  and  a  journey  in  the  usual  way  by  stage  and  steam- 
boat would  fail  to  benefit  me.  But  a  ride  across  the  country  on 
horseback  will,  I  trust,  secure  the  desired  result,  and  give  me  a 
fine  opportunity  to  see  and  learn  much  of  those  states  and  towns 
through  which  I  shall  pass. 

Jink  8. — I  received  a  letter  a  few  days  since  from  a  class- 
mate of  mine  now  in  Lane  Seminary.     He  has  just  been  licensed 


60  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

to  preach,  and  expects  to  locate  in  the  state  of  Missouri,  with 
two  or  three  others  from  the  same  institution.  He  is  a  3*oung 
man  of  fine  spirit  and  great  zeal  for  his  Master,  and  I  believe 
God  will  own  and  bless  his  labors  in  this  western  valley.  He 
says,  "Great  effort  is  being  made  in  the  newspapers  to  destroy 
the  influence  of  Dr .  B . , "  but  he  thinks  they  will  not  succeed  to 
any  great  extent.  The  General  Assembly  is  strongly  old  school, 
and  it  is  thought  may  adopt  such  measures  as  will  rend  the 
"body  politic."  A  crowd  of  strangers  are 

coming  into  town  these  days  from  the  east,  notwithstanding  the 
financial  pressure.  We  had  expected  a  visit  from  Daniel 
Webster  and  Henry  Cla}-,  but  owing  to  the  calling  of  Congress 
on  the  1st  of  September,  the}*  found  it  necessary  to  turn  back 
forthwith.  I  would  like  to  have  seen  these  distinguished  gen- 
tlemen . 

Times  are  becoming  more  and  more  alarming,  and  our  Gov- 
ernment seems  almost  on  the  verge  of  dissolution.  The  refusal 
of  the  President  to  do  anything  for  the  relief  of  the  country, 
and  the  order  of  the  Government  to  receive  nothing  but  specie 
at  the  custom-houses  and  postoffices,  when  reported  in  Boston 
well  nigh  kindled  the  spirit  of  '76.  At  a  large  meeting  of  the 
citizens,  resolutions  were  reported  in  direct  opposition  to  the 
Government.  They  were  laid  on  the  table  until  a  remonstrance 
could  be  sent  to  Washington  and  an  answer  received;  but 
another  meeting  was  to  be  held  when,  if  no  relief  could  be 
obtained,  these  resolutions  would  undoubtedly  be  passed  and 
carried  out.  The  Governor  of  this  state  has  called  an  extra 
session  of  the  Legislature  for  the  7th  of  July,  to  save  the  life  of 
the  bank,  and  attend  to  other  matters  of  public  moment.  News 
has  just  reached  us  of  the  repeal  of  the  "Treasury  Circular," 
and  there  is  a  stir  in  the  "Kitchen  Cabinet"  at  Washington. 

Henry  Hatch ,  the  deaf  and  dumb  young  man ,  was  here  a  day 
or  two  since,  and  called  on  me.  The  union  of  our  churches 
concerning  which  I  wrote  }rou ,  has  not  been  consummated '.  There 
was  much  misunderstanding  in  regard  to  the  articles  of  union, 
and  all  agreed  that  as  each  understood  the  other  they  could  not 
unite,   and  concluded  to  stay   apart  for  the  present.     We  are 


FOURTH    OF    JULY.  61 

having  delightful  evenings  now.      This  evening  I  took  a  stroll 
in  our  grove  with  Miss  M.  C. 

June  23 . — Have  recently  received  letters  from  my  sister  in 
Norfolk,  James  Cowles  in  Yale  College,  and  a  classmate  in 
Philadelphia.  Friends  in  Norfolk  are  in  usual  health,  excepting 
my  father,  who  is  quite  lame  and  seldom  able  to  walk  out  even 
to  church.  My  brother  has  been  called  to  bury  his  youngest 
child  after  a  protracted  illness.  Mjr  sister's  letter  mentions  the 
death  of  Miss  M.  Baldwin  and  Miss  Knapp,  a  daughter  of  Mr. 
Bushnell  Knapp.  Cousin  J.  Cowles  graduates  in  two  months, 
and  thinks  some  of  going  to  Oberlin.  His  brothers  are  pro- 
fessors in  the  college  at  Oberlin.  The  great  Mr. Webster  has  been 
here,  and  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  him  speak  and 
shaking  his  hand.  He  addressed  us  briefly  in  the  college  chapel, 
and  on  Saturday  afternoon  spoke  to  between  two  and  three 
thousand  of  our  people  in  Governor  Duncan's  grove.  His 
speech  was  an  hour  and  a  half  in  length — was  clear,  manly  and 
forcible,  and  worthy  of  his  distinguished  fame.  He  passed  on 
to  Springfield,  thence  to  Peoria,  and  goes  home  by  Chicago  and 
the  lakes.  "  *  *  *  Olmstead's  Philosophy  lias  arrived 
and  I  will  send  it  the  first  opportunity.  Have  been  preparing 
an  address  on  Iceland  for  the  "Society  of  Inquiry"  in  college. 

July  6. — We  have  just  passed  another  of  our  nation's  birth- 
days. Some  have  prayed,  some  mourned,  and  very  many  have 
spent  the  da}^  in  laughter  and  merriment.  No  preparations  for 
any  celebration  were  made  in  town  or  college,  and  we  expected 
our  regular  recitations.  But  the  students  met  the  evening  pre- 
vious and  requested  the  day,  which  was  granted,  and  President 
Beecher  and  Professor  Post  were  invited  to  address  them.  They 
spoke  extremely  well,  and  afterwards  the  students  and  faculty, 
with  their  families,  partook  of  an  excellent  dinner.  The  day 
passed  very  pleasantly  and  in  a  manner  highly  creditable  to  us 
as  an  institution.         ******** 

I  saw  Mr.  Carter  on  his  return  from  your  place  and  was 
gratified  with  the  account  he  gave  of  the  meeting  and  the  state 
of  feeling  consequent  upon  it.     I  hope  M.  H.  will  prove  a  true 


62  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

friend  of  the  Redeemer.  Hoav  is  B?  Mr.  Carter  felt  deeply  for 
him.  Have  airy  of  Mr.  P.'s  family  or  Mr.  A.'s  children  been 
interested  ?  I  rejoice  that  even  a  few  drops  have  fallen  in  the 
midst  of  the  widespread  desolation.  Let  us  praise  God  and 
take  courage.  We  had  a  very  good  prayer-meeting  here  last 
evening.  The  state  of  the  church  was  alluded  to,  the  spread  of 
infidelity,  the  boldness  of  skeptics,  and  their  boastings  over  the 
divided  state  of  the  church  of  Christ.  Much  was  said  of  its 
worldly  and  sectarian  spirit;  and  the  example  of  Daniel,  who 
confessed  his  own  sins  and  the  sins  of  the  people,  and  prayed 
and  made  supplication  to  his  God,  was  held  up  as  worthy  of 

imitation.      The  divisions  and  dissensions  of  the  church 

were  greatly  deplored,  especially  their  injustice  in  laying  all  the 
responsibility  at  the  door  of  the  N.  8.  and  C.  It  is  to  be 
feared  they  are  cutting  the  last  cord  which  binds  all  these 
brethren  together.  I  suppose  you  have  read  and  heard  much  of 
what  was  done  by  the  General  Assembly  at  their  last  session. 
Public  prints  and  even  political  papers  are  full  of  criticisms  on 
what  they  call  an  unchristian  spirit  and  illegal  proceedings. 
Four  s}rnods  were  cut  off  without  a  hearing,  embracing  a  large 
number  of  churches  and  ministers.  Dr.  B.  of  Troy  made  an 
eloquent  and  able  speech,  though  at  times  somewhat  severe, 
showing  perhaps  too  little  of  the  Christian  and  too  much  of  the 
politician.  Truly  a  cloud  hangs  over  the  American  church 
which  is  dark  and  thick,  and  it  would  be  well  for  Christians  of 
all  denominations  to  stop  censuring  each  other,  and  inquire 
whether  they  have  not  too  large  a  beam  in  their  own  eye  to  see 
the  mote  in  their  brother's  eye  so  clearly  that  the}*  can  cast  it 
out.  When  I  look  at  the  present  state  of  Christendom  I  feel 
sick  and  desponding,  but  the  Lord  reigns  and  his  designs  will 
be  accomplished.  And  when  I  remember  this,  and  look  at  the 
character  of  God  and  His  promises,  hope  revives.      *      *      * 

The  last  paper  brought  intelligence  of  the  death  of  Rev. 
Edwin  Stearns,  missionary  to  China,  who  went  out,  I  believe,  in 
1833.  He  was  my  tutor  in  college  one  3rear,  and  I  esteemed 
him  very  highly  as  a  man  and  a  Christian. 

I  understand  the  A.  II.  M.  Society  has  issued  circulars  to  all 


BEGINNING   WORK.  63 

their  missionaries,  requesting  them  not  to  draw  for  their  salaries 
until  the}'  receive  further  orders.  This  will  distress  many,  as 
they  have  only  four  hundred  dollars  in  all  for  the  year — a  bare 
subsistence  in  these  hard  times .  The  American  Board  are  also 
under  the  necessity  of  retaining  missionaries  for  want  of  funds . 
Never  before  has  this  been  true.  The  appeal  has  been  for  men, 
but  now  the  men  are  ready,  the  money  is  wanting.  I  do  hope 
the  Lord  will  open  the  hearts  and  purses  of  the  church  in  highly 
favored  America. 

July  14. — I  fear  the  summer  has  been  on  the  whole  a  barren 
time  in  religious  experience  with  me.  If  I  were  asked  the 
reason,  I  should  say,  Too  little  attention  to  private  devotion. 
We  must  cultivate  religion ,  if  we  wish  it  to  flourish  in  our  hearts . 
Weeds  will  grow  without  care,  but  to  keep  them  out  so  as  to 
make  room  for  the  pure  and  holy  plants  of  righteousness, 
requires   constant   effort   and   watching.  *  I 

have  been  reading  church  history  for  several  weeks.  What  in 
the  future  will  the  church  present  to  coming  ages  ?  *  *  * 
I  have  seldom  felt  in  better  health,  notwithstanding  the  very 
warm  weather .  My  room  is  so  situated  that  I  have  a  fresh  breeze 
passing  through  it  constantly,  and  friend  Pierson  is  here  enjoy- 
ing it  with  me.     He  is  well,  as  are  also  Scolield  and  Hitchcock. 

July  28. — Have  been  out  two  Sabbaths  to  a  settlement  on 
the  Sangamon  river,  twenty-five  miles  from  Jacksonville.  Mr. 
Hicks,  one  of  the  students  who  lives  in  that  neighborhood ,  went 
out  with  me.  Addressed  the  people  twice  each  Sabbath.  They 
were  very  attentive,  and  urged  me  to  come  again.  I  started  at 
sunrise  on  Monday  morning,  so  as  to  take  the  "cool  of  the  day," 
and  had  a  most  delightful  ride  home.  Nothing  gives  such  a 
sense  of  our  dependence  on  God,  and  such  a  constant  enjoyment 
of  His  presence,  as  to  engage  in  direct  and  active  efforts  for  the 
advancement  of  His  cause. 

August  10. — One  of  the  students  was  taken  on  Sabbath  with 
bleeding  at  the  lungs,  and  it  has  been  repeated  every  day  since, 
until  he  is  brought  very  low.  Unless  he  gets  relief  he  cannot 
continue  long,  and  the  most  distressing  part  of  this  is  that  he 


64  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORT). 

knows  not  the  blessedness  of  trusting  in  Christ.    I  watched  with 
him  a  part  of  last  night.  *  *  Mr.    Charles 

Beecher ,  Miss  S .  C .  's  friend ,  and  Miss  Catherine   Beecher ,  the 
noble  authoress,  are  visiting  our  President. 

I  rejoice  in  what  the  Lord  is  doing  for  j^our 
settlement.  Think  that  barn  must  be  a  consecrated  spot.  Do 
M.  and  W.  appear  decided?  The  present  is  a  critical  period  with 
them.  The  first  few  weeks  of  a  Christian's  life  are  apt  to  give 
character  to  the  whole.  It  is  highly  important  to  be  Bible 
Christians,  and  not  worldly-minded  professors. 

August  17. — The  student  referred  to  in  my  last  is  no  more. 
I  had  watched  with  him  three  nights  and  was  called  again  last 
night.  Was  with  him  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
about  six  this  morning.  Scofield  watched  with  me.  The  parents 
were  sent  for  and  arrived  about  three  days  since.  Last  night  at 
eight  o'clock  the  doctor  informed  them  that  he  must  die  soon. 
The  mother  in  an  agony  of  grief,  called  upon  her  Savior,  while 
the  father — not  a  pious  man — threw  his  arms  around  my  neck 
exclaiming,  "What  shall  I  do?  The  fearful  hour  is  at  hand!" 
The  poor  youth  showed  no  apparent  concern  for  the  future. 
His  whole  frame  soon  became  greatly  agitated,  laboring  for 
breath,  until  his  pulse  rose  to  170.  About  two  o'clock  he 
became  deranged  and  remained  so  until  death  entered  and  claimed 
his  victim.  The  parents  gave  vent  to  their  feelings  in  a  manner 
which  beggars  all  description.  It  was  truly  a  heartrending 
spectacle.  This  is  the  first  death  that  has  occurred  in  the  insti- 
tution for  four  j'ears.  *         * 

You  ask  a  definition  of  meekness.  I  know  what  it  is  better 
than  I  can  define  it,  but  I  suppose  by  meekness  is  meant  that 
true  greatness  of  soul  which  leads  one  to  overlook  an  injury  or 
an  insidt,  rather  than  revenge  it,  and  to  do  good  to  an  enemy 
when  it  is  in  our  power  to  do  him  evil.  This  requires  that 
courage  and  strength  of  purpose  which  I  call  greatness  or  nobility 
of  soul.  Thus  Christ  was  meek,  for  "when  reviled,  He  reviled 
not  again,"  and  we  see  it  in  the  whole  history  of  His  sufferings 
and  death. 


a  student's  conversion.  65 

August  25. — This  week,  unlike  aiuy  other  I  have  spent  in 
Illinois,  has  been  one  of  sickness,  and  I  have  not  heard  a  single 
recitation.  I  was  taken  violently  ill  with  symptoms  of  fever, 
while  out  at  the  bottoms  last  Sabbath.  Providentially  I  was  at 
the  house  of  one  of  the  most  eminent  physicians,  Dr.  Chandler, 
who  gave  me  prompt  and  unwearied  attention,  and  saved  me,  no 
doubt,  a  very  severe  course  of  fever.  I  feel  under  great  obliga- 
tions to  him  and  his  family  for  their  kindness  to  me  in  time  of 
need.  Mr.    Carter  is   engaged   again  for 

Jacksonville.  Should  think  there  might  be  some  hope  of 
obtaining  Mr.  Jenny  for  your  place  after  he  has  completed  his 
agency . 

September  8. — One  of  my  scholars  was  sent  for  two  weeks 
since  by  his  pious  friends  living  near  Springfield,  as  a  pro- 
tracted meeting  was  to  be  holden  in  the  neighborhood.  He  went, 
but  was  very  angry  about  it.  Yesterday  he  returned  a  new 
creature.  I  will  relate  the  story  as  I  heard  it  from  his  own  lips. 
He  was  resolved  to  resist  every  influence  which  was  brought  to 
bear  upon  him,  and  after  his  arrival  made  light  of  the  meetings, 
and  treated  his  friends  improperly.  In  the  morning  of  the  last 
day  of  the  meeting,  his  uncle  asked  him  if  he  wished  to  return 
to  college.  He  replied,  "Yes,  I  have  stayed  here  long  enough." 
"You  may  go,"  said  his  uncle.  Then  he  began  to  falter,  his 
resolution  failed  him,  and  before  night  he  was  on  the  anxious 
seat  resolved  to  be  a  Christian.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  too 
strong  for  him.  More  than  thirty  hopeful  conversions  are  the 
fruit  of  that  meeting.  It  is  since  transferred  to  the  town  of 
Springfield,  and  the  whole  place  seems  shaken.  Some  of  the 
worst  3'0ung  men  are  rejoicing  in  hope  of  everlasting  life. 

To  his  niece: 

Illinois  Coli.k<;e.  September  15,  1837. —  *  *  *  lam 
busy  making  the  needful  preparations  for  my  return  home.  The 
time  draws  near  when  I  must  break  away  from  the  pleasant  circle 
of  acquaintances  I  have  formed  on  College  Hill,  and  my  mind  is 
vacillating  between  sorrow  and  joy — sorrow  at  parting  with 
friends  and  with  her  whom  I  more  than  respect,  and  joy  at  the 

6 


66  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

thought  of  mingling  again  in  the  scenes  of  early  life,  of  seeing 
once  more  those  dear  parents,  who  have  ever  been  my  guardian 
angels  to  guard  my  steps  along  the  pathway  of  life,  to  watch 
over  me  in  sickness  and  advise  me  in  my  weakness  and  liability 
to  err,  and  for  whom  my  affection,  instead  of  diminishing  by  an 
absence  of  two  years  and  a  half,  has  greatly  increased.  And  joy, 
too,  at  the  thought  of  meeting  a  beloved  sister  and  endeared 
brother,  with  their  rising  families,  not  one  of  whom  has  been 
forgotten  by  me.  But  the  time  hastens  on,  and  I  expect  to  set 
my  face  eastward  the  21st  of  this  month,  or  the  day  after  com- 
mencement, and  shall  be  five  or  six  weeks  on  the  way.     *      * 

I  have  been  in  the  practice  this  summer  of  going  out  into  the 
neighborhoods  within  reach  to  hold  meetings  on  the  Sabbath, 
and  at  times  have  had  very  attentive  congregations.  It  has  done 
me  good  and  I  hope  has  done  some  good  to  others.  Besides  the 
time  I  have  spent  in  teaching  this  term,  I  have  pursued  a 
very  interesting  course  of  reading,  lying  mainly  in  the  region  of 
church  history,  evidences  of  Christianity,  and  kindred  topics. 
Time  will  not  permit  me  to  give  even  a  faint  description  of  the 
interest  I  have  experienced  in  pursuing  these  subjects,  and  the 
clearness  with  which  I  was  enabled  to  see  the  foundation  on 
which  our  Christian  religion  rests.  No  one  can  examine  this 
theme  candidly  and  be  an  infidel. 

It  is  hard  to  realize  what  wonderful  progress  in  jour- 
neying has  been  wrought  in  fifty-one  years.  Now  it  would 
be  thought  a  strange  and  impracticable  scheme  to  travel 
from  Illinois  to  Connecticut  on  horseback.  But  the 
subject  of  this  memoir  never  spoke  of  it  as  a  hardship,  or 
regretted  it  in  after  life.  Young,  vigorous  and  full  of 
energy,  he  was  ready  for  any  undertaking  needful  to  pre- 
pare him  for  his  work.  And  as  he  passed  over  the  long 
road  from  day  to  day,  he  seems  to  have  enjoyed  much  that 
he  saw  and  heard,  and  was  happy  in  communing  with 
nature  and  nature's  God. 

Full  extracts  are  given  from  his  letters  to  show  the 
growth  of  the  places  in  commerce,  in  population,  in  civili- 


SPRINGFIELD    IN    1837.  67 

zation  and  the  arts,  in  the  long  years  since  the  autumn  of 

1837. 

From  letters  to  Miss  Burton: 

I  will  begin  to  give  you  some  details  in  reference  to  my 
journey.  I  left  Jacksonville  on  Thursday  afternoon,  September 
21,  and  am  now  one  hundred  and  ten  miles  distant.  The 
weather  is  delightful  and  the  roads  as  fine  as  can  be  imagined. 
Passed  through  Springfield,  which  you  know  has  become  the 
capital  of  the  state.  It  is  as  large  or  larger  than  Jacksonville. 
They  are  planning  the  new  State  House,  which  is  to  be  a  splendid 
building.  The  basement  is  of  hewn  stone,  125  feet  by  84 — the 
walls  four  feet  thick,  built  on  arches  with  the  tops  dOwn,  and 
filled  in  with  solid  stone  and  mortar.  Stayed  last  night  with  an 
interesting  family  from  Oxford,  Ohio,  the  seat  of  Miami  Uni- 
versity-, and  I  spend  the  Sabbath  on  the  borders  of  a  fifteen  mile 
prairie.  The  first  Sabbath  of  my  journey  was  spent  with  an 
approving  conscience,  because  I  tried  to  obey  the  command, 
"Remember"  etc.  The  house  where  we  stayed  was  thronged 
and  running  over  full  with  movers  nearly  all  day.  It  was  a 
wild  and  new  place,  and  the  wolves  howled  merrily  around  the 
house  during  the  night.  Monday  morning  we  started  early  and 
rode  across  the  fifteen  mile  prairie  to  breakfast.  Nothing  of 
particular  interest  occurred  during  the  day,  except  that  I  met 
Rev.  Asa  Turner  and  wife,  of  Quincy,  and  a  Rev.  Mr.  Whittle- 
sey about  eight  miles  from  Paris,  in  Edgar  county.  Paris  is  a  very 
pretty  place .  Soon  after  meeting  Mr .  T .  met  also  Mr .  and  Mrs . 
Russell,  of  Rushville.  Stayed  Monday  night  in  the  timber  a  short 
distance  from  the  east  line  of  the  state.  Here  I  saw  beech  trees 
for  the  first  time  in  Illinois.  Next  morning  we  arrived  at  Terre 
Haute,  which  is  located  on  a  rich  prairie  about  four  miles  wide. 
It  is  a  very  pleasant  place,  containing  a  splendid  court-house 
and  grounds  and  a  nice  Congregational  church.  Here  we  were 
introduced  to  the  National  road,  which  we  followed  in  a  straight 
course  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  a  distance  of  nearly  two  hundred  and 
fifty"  miles.  This  is  a  splendid  work.  It  passes  through  a 
densely  timbered  country,  and  is  generally"  perfectly  straight. 
Hills  have  been  leveled  and  valleys  filled  up  so  that  you  can  see 


68  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

many  miles  before  you  without  obstruction .  Where  completed 
it  is  covered  with  a  layer  of  broken  stone  about  six  inches  thick , 
upon  which  the  travel  goes,  which  soon  wears  it  down  smooth. 
I  do  not  like  the  country  so  well  as  Illinois,  for  it  must  take 
nearly  a  life-time  to  clear  up  a  farm.  Passing  through  several 
pleasant  villages  we  reached  Indianapolis,  the  capital  and  center 
of  Indiana,  a  nice  little  city  of  three  thousand  five  hundred 
people.  It  has  a  commanding  State  House  and  manj^  other  fine 
buildings.  The  city  lies  mostly  on  or  near  the  National  road. 
They  are  building  a  lock  on  the  canal  here,  for  which  they 
transport  the  stone  forty  miles.  We  passed  on  from  this  place 
to  Richmond,  four  miles  from  the  east  line  of  Indiana,  a  town 
of  four  thousand  inhabitants  with  all  the  activity  of  a  city.  The 
Quakers  were  just  commencing  their  annual  meeting  there,  and 
were  coming  in  in  large  numbers.  Thence  our  route  was  through 
Eaton  to  Dayton,  on  the  canal  near  the  Big  Miami,  containing 
five  or  six  thousand  people.  We  passed  on  through  Fairfield, 
and  stopped  for  the  Sabbath  four  miles  beyond,  with  a  very 
pleasant  family,  except  that  the  man  had  some  very  curious 
notions  in  respect  to  ministers.  Went  to  meeting  with  them  in 
a  wagon — got  upset  and  one  of  the  ladies  had  her  shoulder  dis- 
located. Next  morning  we  breakfasted  in  Springfield,  which 
has  a  population  of  about  twenty -eight  hundred .  We  found  the 
country  under  good  cultivation  to  Columbus,  the  capital  of 
Ohio,  standing  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Scioto  river.  This  place 
is  somewhat  elevated,  and  presents  a  fine  appearance  at  a  dis- 
tance. The  population  is  six  thousand.  There  is  a  large  public 
square  in  the  center,  and  it  has  a  good  prison  building  but  a 
poor  State  House.  It  is  built  principally  on  the  National  road 
and  on  Main  street  running  at  right  angles  to  it.  From  here 
we  proceeded  a  northeastly  course  for  forty-five  miles  to  the 
capital  of  Knox  count}r,  Ohio.  At  this  place  I  let  my  compan- 
ion pass  on  and  have  not  seen  him  since.  I  spent  a  little  time 
with  friends  on  the  "Western  Reserve."  Passed  the  Sabbath  in 
Uncle  Curtiss'  family .  Monday  went  to  Talmage  and  visited  Prof. 
Sturtevant's  father,  next  day  to  Hudson  and  saw  Mr.  Searle's 
father  and  Aunt  Thompson,  also  Prof.  Loomis,  formerly  my  tutor 


DESCRIPTION    OF    NIAGARA.  69 

in  college,  and  Prof.  Hickok,  from  Litchfield,  Connecticut.  At 
Cleveland  saw  Mr.  Philip  Battell  and  wife.  There,  after  some 
delay  took  passage  for  Buffalo  over  the  lake  far-famed  for  gales. 
Did  not  stop  in  B.,  but  passed  on  to  Niagara  Falls — that 
stupendous  wonder  of  nature,  of  which  I  ma}r  give  you  some 
account  in  the  future. 

Thus  far  I  have  enjoyed  1113'  ride  to  perfection.  Am  rugged 
and  vigorous  and  have  never  regretted  for  a  moment  that  I 
decided  to  take  this  course.  Was  much  interested  in  the  change 
from  a  prairie  to  a  timber  country,  and  in  the  advance  in  im- 
provement and  civilization  as  I  journed  east.  But  nr^  love  for 
the  Prairie  State  has  increased  rather  than  diminished.  Let  but 
art  do  as  much  for  Illinois  as  it  has  done  for  Ohio,  and  the  latter 
would  soon  be  left  in  the  background  *  *  *  Traveling 
in  this  way  I  have  heard  but  little  profanity,  but  have  seen 
Sabbath-breaking  enough  to  make  me  tremble. 

I  will  give  3tou  an  imperfect  description  of  Niagara.  Imagine 
to  yourself  a  river  as  large  as  the  Mississippi,  carrying  in  its 
bosom  the  waters  of  all  that  chain  of  lakes,  and  gliding  smoothly 
along  for  the  distance  of  twenty  miles.  Suddenly  the  surface 
seems  to  become  troubled  and  more  rapid.  At  length  it  begins 
to  fall  a  few  inches,  and  the  island  which  divides  the  stream 
interposes.  About  one- fourth  of  the  water  goes  around  on  the 
American  side  and  three-fourths  on  the  Canada  side.  Having 
passed  the  island  it  goes  down  rapidly  over  an  inclined  plane  of 
solid  rock ,  until  it  makes  the  final  leap  in  one  solid  sheet  down 
a  perpendicular  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  Then  the  sheet 
seems  broken  in  the  middle  and  the  two  walls  stand  at  an  angle 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty  degrees.  The  river  is  lined  for  a 
long  distance  below  with  perpendicular  walls  of  solid  rock. 
From  the  falls  I  made  my  way  to  Lockport  on  the  canal,  which 
is  here  carried  for  quite  a  distance  through  solid  rock.  In  the 
town  are  six  locks  in  quick  succession,  making  a  fall  of  seventy- 
two  feet.  It  is  a  splendid  work.  Thence  I  proceeded  through 
a  fine  country  to  Batavia,  a  thriving  place  of  three  or  four 
thousand  people.  Here  I  was  introduced  to  a  rich,  highly  culti- 
vated  and    delightful   section,    which   continued    for   nearly   a 


70  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLOBJ). 

hundred  miles,  called  the  Genesee  country.  I  can  only  name  a 
few  places — LeRoi,  exquisitely  beautiful;  Lima,  where  there  is 
a  Methodist  Seminary  built  of  stone  on  a  hill  a  little  distance 
from  the  village.  Many  small  lakes  are  seen  through  this  region 
which  are  beautiful  and  furnish  business  for  thriving  villages. 
Canandaigua,  a  place  of  wonderful  beauty,  is  at  the  outlet  of  a 
lake  of  the  same  name.  The  principal  street  is  two  miles  in 
length,  rising  gradually  to  an  elevation,  which  commands  a  full 
view  of  the  town  and  lake.  Just  at  this  point  is  a  flourishing 
seminary.  The  houses  are  rich  and  attractive  in  appearance  and 
well  shaded  with  trees.  Geneva,  on  the  Geneva  lake,  is  larger 
and  a  point  of  much  business.  Waterloo  and  Seneca  Falls  are 
important  places,  and  next  comes  Auburn,  the  criminal's  home. 
I  visited  the  prison  and  saw  them  marching  to  their  dinner  in 
single  file.  They  are  enlarging  the  building  and  adding  five 
acres  of  land  to  the  five  already  occupied.  From  the  prison  I 
went  to  the  Theological  Seminary  and  found  there  two  old  college 
acquaintances,  with  whom  I  took  dinner.  From  this  place  until 
within  twenty  miles  of  Albany,  the  country  is  a  succession  of 
high  hills  and  deep  valleys.  Skeneateles,  Marcellus,  Cazenovia, 
and  Cherry  Valley  are  pleasant  places,  but  the  daj^s  must  be 
quite  short,  for  they  cannot  see  the  sun  early  or  late.  Richland 
Springs,  where  a  large  stream  of  sulphur  water  flows  from  a 
mound,  is  a  resort  for  invalids.  Spent  the  Sabbath  at  West 
Springfield,  and  passing  on  towards  Albany  rode  through  twenty 
miles  of  pine  barrens.  Albany  is  very  compact,  with  narrow 
streets,  and  is  full  of  business. 

I  reached  home  at  noon  the  next  Thursday,  and  took  all  my 
friends  by  surprise.  They  were  determined  not  to  look  for  me 
till  the  last  of  the  week,  lest  they  should  be  disappointed.  I 
was  just  five  weeks  on  the  way,  and  had  I  been  a  da}'  later  must 
have  lain  by  for  the  rain.  But  through  the  kind  care  of  my 
Heavenly  Father,  I  completed  my  long  journey  safely  and  in 
good  health.  The  weather  Avas  warm  and  pleasant,  and  there 
was  no  rain  except  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  in  the  state  of 
New  York.  I  found  father  and  mother,  brothers  and  sister  and 
their  children  all  well,  and  glad  to  see  their  son,  brother,  and 


RETURN    TO   NEW   HAVEN.  71 

uncle  once  more.  Norfolk  looks  natural,  yet  has  changed  some. 
Several  new  houses  have  been  erected,  two  or  three  very  fine 
ones  at  the  center,  and  the  people  have  grown  old.  The  larger 
children  have  almost  become  men  and  wOmen,  and  not  a  few  of 
my  old  schoolmates  are  married.  I  will  mention  only  one 
couple — Mr.  Trowbridge  and  Miss  S.  Aiken. 

After  a  few  days  at  home,  I  came  to  New  Haven  on  horse- 
back. Wished  to  ascertain  if  they  would  receive  me  into  the 
Middle  class  in  the  seminary,  and  to  make  arrangements  for  a 
boarding  place  as  speedily  as  possible.  .Shall  go  home  and  finish 
my  visiting  and  then  come  back  to  stay.  Saw  Dr.  Taylor  this 
morning  and  gave  him  a  history  of  myself.  He  says  there  will 
be  no  objection  to  my  entering  the  middle  class.  New  Haven 
seems  to  me  the  most  pleasant  place  I  ever  saw.  It  was  my 
home  four  years,  and  to  me  is  full  of  interesting  associations. 
This  beautiful  city  has  improved  greatly  since  I  left,  for  a  large 
mimber  of  fine  stores  and  dwelling  houses  have  been  built  on  the 
various  streets.  There  have  been  several  incendiary  fires  this 
year.  One  of  them  destroyed  a  block  of  poor  buildings  on 
Chapel  street,  and  elegant  three-story  residences  and  stores  are 
going  up  in  their  place.  I  received  a  most  cordial  welcome  from 
dear  cousin  James.  Our  meeting  was  that  of  old  and  well-tried 
friends.  I  am  writing  in  his  room  in  Divinity  College,  a  new 
building  in  the  line  of  the  other  college  buildings,  and  the  finest 
of  them  all. 

Mr.  Gaylord  returned  to  Norfolk  on  horseback,  and  after 
spending  a  little  time  in  delightful  intercourse  with  his 
parents  and  other  friends,  set  his  face  once  more  toward  the 
place  he  loved  so  well,  and  where  he  was  to  finish  his 
preparation  for  the  work  of  coming  years. 


IV. 
FURTHER   PREPARATION 

1837-1838. 


Let  me  live  among  high  thoughts,  where  there  is  right  Theological 
thinking  and  training.  Lead  me  straight  to  the  deepest  fountains  of 
God*s  own  truths,  that  I  may  know  how  to  bring  them  home  to  the 
hearts  and  lives  of  others.  — The  Advance. 

Angels  from  friendship  gather  half  their  joys. 

—  Young. 

Light,  Freedom,  Truth,  be  ever  these  thine  own — 
Light  to  see  truth,  Freedom  to  make  it  known — 
Our  work  God's  work,  our  wills  His  Will  alone. 

—  Whittier. 

"They  rest  from  their  labors  and  their  works  do  follow  them." 

*    "  How   beautiful   upon  the  mountains  are  the  feet  of  him  that 
bringeth  good  tidings — that  publisheth  salvation." 

"How  shall  they  preach  except  they  be  sent?" 

I  love  the  dear  old  home!  'Tis  hallowed  by  a  father's  prayers  and 
mother's  love:  Sunlight  is  nowhere  else  so  bright  and  fair.  I  know  the 
forms  of  every  tree  and  mountain,  hill  and  dell. 

It  is  my  home.  — Mrs.  Butler. 

"Surely  I  will  be  with  thee." 


CHAPTER    IV. 
Yale     Seminary. 

Keturn  to  New  Haven — Theological  Studies  —  Letters  to  Miss 
Burton  —  Dr.  Taylor  —  Anti-Slavery  Meetings  —  Interesting 
Exercises  at  the  Second  Centennial  of  New  Haven  Colony — 
Licensed  to  Preach  —  Preaching  at  New  Preston  —  Iowa 
Educational  Association  —  Names  of  Members  —  Commission 
from  A.  H.  M.  S.  for  Henry  County,  Iowa — Ordination  —  Leav- 
ing Home — Journey  to  Iowa. 

Continuation  of  letters  to  Miss  Burton : 

New  Haven,  November  28,  1837. — Came  again  to  New 
Haven  one  week  ago  last  Saturday.  Was  unable  to  obtain  a 
room  at  present  in  the  college  building,  and  have  taken  one  in 
the  house  of  Dr.  Murdock  in  Crown  street,  and  board  in  the 
family  of  Mr.  Cook,  who  occupy  the  house.  Dr.  M.  and 
daughter  board  with  them,  also  Mr.  Goodman,  a  law  student, 
and  Mr.  Turner,  who  is  superintending  the  publication  of  a 
Hebrew  grammar.  I  have  a  very  agreeable  room-mate,  a  Mr. 
Carruth,  with  whom  I  was  acquainted  in  college.  My  room  is 
in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  third  stoiy;  size,  twelve  by 
eighteen,  and  is  well  furnished. 

November  30. — "In  everything  give  thanks."  So  said  the 
apostle,  and  it  seems  to  me  an  appropriate  motto  to  adopt  in 
beginning  my  letter  to  you ,  as  this  is  the  day  set  apart  b}^  our 
rulers  for  thanksgiving  and  pra}Ter.  What  a  grand  idea  that  so 
large  a  portion  of  our  people  should  unite  in  ascriptions  of 
praise  to  the  Giver  of  all  good!  We  should  reflect  on  and 
recount  the  mercies  of  God  toward  us  and  our  friends,  and  ask 
that  they  may  be  continued  to  us.  As  I  look  at  the  past  I  feel 
that  I  have  great  cause  for  gratitude  that  I  was  permitted  to 
close  so  happily  my  residence  at  Illinois  College,  to  prosecute 
my    long  journey   homeward  so  pleasantly  and  safely,  and  to 


76  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

visit  my  dear  parents  and  other  kindred  and  friends  whom  I 
tenderly  love.  I  have  had  two  Thanksgivings.  As  I  could  not 
be  at  home  to-da}T,  father  and  mother  gathered  all  their  children 
and  grandchildren  together  to  a  Thanksgiving  dinner,  and  we 
had  a  delightful  time.  Little  John  Mills  said  to  me,  "Uncle 
Reuben,  mayn't  I  go  home  with  }-ou  ?  "  I  replied,  "I  am 
at  home."     "No  you  ain't;  Illinois  is  }rour  home." 

December  18. — Visited  Rev.  Mr.  Griggs,  formerly  my  tutor 
in  college,  and  spent  the  Sabbath  in  his  family.  He  is  settled  in 
North  Haven,  nine  miles  distant.  I  walked  out  to  his  home, 
found  him  well  and  had  a  most  delightful  visit.  His  family 
consists  of  four  members.  On  Sabbath  morning  it  commenced 
snowing  and  blowing,  consequently  the  audience  was  small,  but 
it  was  very  attentive.  In  the  afternoon  Mr.  G.  set  me  to 
preaching  on  his  own  responsibility.  I  went  into  the  pulpit  and 
spoke  from  Hebrews  3:12,  13.  Was  much  embarrassed  at  first, 
but  soon  recovered  and  went  through  without  difficulty.  Re- 
turned on  Monday,  and  had  a  tiresome  walk  over  the  snow, 
which  fell  the  day  before.  ****** 

Have  been  reading  a  volume  of  Bolingbroke ,  an  infidel  writer 
of  the  last  century,  but  I  cannot  endure  him.  He  is  pompous, 
proud,  a  hater  of  all  religion,  asserts  things  without  proof,  and 
denies  things  in  face  of  the  strongest  evidence.  In  contrast  to 
this  have  been  reading  some  of  Dwight's  sermons.  He  is  a 
powerful  writer,  aud  his  life  is  very  interesting.  The  labors  he 
accomplished  are  truly  marvelous.  I  have  been  reading  also 
Dick's  "Christian  Philosopher"  and  his  "Philosophy  of  Relig- 
ion." Have  a  much  better  opportunit}^  for  reading  than  I  have 
ever  enjoj-ed  before.  In  two  weeks  we  have  a  vacation.  Think 
on  the  whole  I  shall  go  home  to  Norfolk  and  spend  a  few  days, 
as  it  will  make  the  next  term  less  tedious.  How  many  and 
varied  have  been  the  scenes  through  which  I  have  passed  in  the 
last  three  months!  Life  is  a  checkered  scene  at  best,  yet  it  has 
its  pleasures,  and  not  the  least  of  these  is  the  power  of  imagina- 
tion to  give  us  bright  anticipations  of  the  future.  I  consider 
myself  very  happy  in  securing  so  pleasant  and  agreeable  a  com- 
panion for  a  room-mate  this  winter.     One  of  the  children  of  the 


KETKOSPECT    AND    ANTICIPATION.  77 

family  in  which  I  board  is  lying  apparently  near  the  borders  of 
the  grave.  He  was  taken  sick  one  week  ago  yesterday,  and  has 
failed  very  fast.  He  is  about  four  years  old  and  is  a  very  pretty 
child.  While  standing  by  the  side  of  his  bed  and  seeing  his 
death-like  features,  I  could  not  help  feeling,  "How  false  and  yet 
how  fair!  "     "Trust  not  in  earth." 

New  Haven,  January  1,  1838. — "Come  let  us  anew  our 
journey  pursue."  I  never  pass  the  threshold  of  a  New  Year 
without  deep  emotions  as  I  reflect  upon  the  past  and  look  for- 
ward to  the  future.  The  past  year  has  been  peculiar  in  many 
respects.  It  began  and  ended  with  the  Sabbath.  Think  I  can 
say  that  for  nryself  the  last  Sabbath  was  the  best  one.  It  has 
been  a  year  of  excitement  in  the  religious  world,  of  division  and 
contention  in  the  church,  and  of  much  controversy  on  the  great 
moral  questions  of  the  day.  Notwithstanding  many  fears,  the 
promise  of  "seed  time  and  harvest"  has  not  failed,  and  we  have 
very  generally  enjoyed  health  within  our  borders.  The  year  to 
me  has  been  one  which  calls  for  warm  expressions  of  gratitude. 
So  far  as  I  know,  death  has  not  entered  the  dwellings  of  any  of 
my  friends  or  relatives.  As  I  look  back  over  five  years,  I  can 
see  that  each  year  has  brought  some  important  changes.  In  1833 
I  became  of  age;  in  '34  I  graduated;  in  '35  went  to  Illinois;  in 
'36  you  will  remember  what  was  transacted,  and  in  '37  returned 
to  my  parents  and  my  dear  Alma  Mater  again.  All  this  time  I 
have  enjoyed  uninterrupted  health  and  prosperity,  and  can  say 
now  that  my  purpose  is  stronger  than  ever  to  press  on  in  the 
great  work  which  lies  before  me.  I  am  drawing  nearer  and 
nearer  to  the  Polar  star  of  my  hopes .  For  eight  long  years  it 
has  steadily  directed  my  efforts  and  carried  me  undeviatingly 
forward,  and  I  feel  no  little  interest  in  the  thought  that  this 
year  may  bear  me  to  the  accomplishment  of  my  desired  object. 
Yes,  I  trust  that  ere  this  year  shall  have  run  its  round,  I  shall 
be  granted  the  liberty  of  preaching  the  everlasting  gospel.  And 
yet  how  unworthy!  But  I  long  to  be  in  the  work — the  blessed 
work  of  preaching  the  gospel  of  Christ  to  the  destitute.  I 
have  been  studying  very  hard  since  I  came  here,  and  feel  that 
nry  time  has  been  profitably  spent.     Have  given  form  and  loca- 


78  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

tion  to  many  ideas  which  lay  floating  in  my  mind.  Dr.  Taylor 
is  very  clear  and  interesting  on  most  of  the  themes  which  he 
lectures  upon.  I  shall  finish  his  course  this  year.  Am  well 
physically,  and  yet  feel  exhausted  and  unfitted  for  such  very 
close  application  another  term.  I  feel  the  need  of  a  vacation, 
and  shall  therefore  go  home  and  visit  my  parents  a  few  days. 

Have  called  on  Mr.  Ludlow  since  I  came  here,  and  had  a 
pleasant  interview.  His  church  is  "a  large  upper  room  fur- 
nished." Prof.  Fitch  preached  yesterday  morning  on  the 
resurrection  of  Christ.  The  little  boy  whose  sickness  we 
expected  would  result  in  death  was  spared,  and  has  so  far 
recovered  that  he  is  able  to  walk  around  the  house. 

January  5. — Came  home  as  I  hoped  for  my  vacation,  and 
found  friends  all  well.  Went  to  Norfolk  by  way  of  Hartford, 
riding  all  night,  and  reached  home  just  as  mother  was  getting 
up.  Loss  of  sleep  brought  on  sick  headache,  which  proved 
quite  severe.  Learned  that  the  question,  Is  the  American  Anti- 
Slavery  Society  worthy  of  patronage  ?  had  been  discussed  seven 
evenings,  and  two  lectures  given  on  the  subject  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Storrs.  Spent  a  week  very  pleasantly  at  home,  and  lectured  for 
Rev.  Mr.  Eldridge  on  Sabbath  evening  from  I  Corinthians  3:2. 

Mr.  Gaylord  walked  the  distance  from  Norfolk  to  New 
Haven  on  his  return,  and  thus  relates  some  of  his  exper- 
iences on  the  wa}^  in  a  letter  to  Miss  Burton,  dated  New 
Haven,  January  27,  183S: 

I  came  through  Bethlehem,  and  called  for  a  few  moments  at 
the  house  of  your  Uncle  Daniel.  As  I  passed  by  your  early 
home,  I  stopped  to  gaze  for  a  moment  upon  the  hallowed  spot. 
Deep  and  interesting  were  the  emotions  which  crowded  into  the 
mind.  I  remembered  that  there  one  dear  to  me  as  my  own  life 
was  cradled  in  infancy — sported  in  childhood — and  there  called 
into  exercise  those  powers ,  which  are  still  to  increase  in  strength 
and  capacity,  and  from  which  I  hope  to  enjoy  much  in  future 
life.  There,  too,  she  gave  herself  to  her  Savior  and  became  a 
glad  offering  on  the  altar  of  consecration  to  God .  But  imagina- 
tion soon  gaAre  place  to  the  realities  of  my  little  journey.     In 


REVIVALS    IN    CONNECTICUT.  79 

going  from  Norfolk  to  Middlebuiy,  I  took  the  wrong  road  and 
lost  my  way.  Five  miles  above  Middlebury  I  providentially 
met  Mr.  Giles  Gay  lord  and  rode  home  with  him  to  spend  the 
Sabbath.  On  Sabbath  evening  I  lectured  for  Rev.  Mr.  Atwater. 
Mr.  Atwater  was  married  last  spring  to  a  Miss  Strong,  a  very 
interesting  lady.  From  Middlebury  I  went  to  Cheshire  to  attend 
the  ordination  of  Rev.  E.  Colton.  The  sermon  was  preached 
by  Dr.  Hawes  of  Hartford.  While  sitting  in  the  house  during 
the  ordination  services,  I  felt  in  some  degree  the  solemnity  of 
the  sacred  office  and  the  great  need  of  faithful  preparation  for  it. 
At  the  same  time  the  desire  was  stronger  than  ever  to  be  engaged 
in  this  arduous  work.  There  is  an  interesting  state  of  religious 
feeling  in  the  place.  A  work  is  also  in  progress  in  Woodbury, 
silent,  but  of  great  power.  It  embraces  all  classes,  the  old  and 
young,  the  moral  and  profligate  with  the  gospel  hardened.  In 
Southington  the  Lord  is  at  work  in  a  way  to  proclaim  His 
mighty  energy  in  saving  men.  It  commenced  with  visiting  by 
the  church,  and  spread  into  all  parts  of  that  large  town.  I  hear 
of  the  Spirit's  presence  in  Durham,  New  Milford  and  some  other 
places.  These  tokens  of  God's  goodness  are  very  encouraging 
in  the  midst  of  so  much  moral  darkness .  From  Cheshire  I  came 
to  New  Haven  to  enter  upon  the  duties  of  another  term.  Shall 
have  five  lectures  to  attend  every  week.  Have  at  last  succeeded 
in  obtaining  a  very  good  room  in  Divinity  College.  It  is  a 
corner  front  room  in  the  third  stoiy,  overlooking  the  public 
green.  I  have  a  new  room-mate,  Mr.  Budington,  an  old  college 
classmate . 

Mr.  Stewart  proposed  a  walk  to  West  Rock,  which  I  need 
not  describe  as  you  have  been  there.  I  enjoyed  the  delightful 
view  of  the  country,  the  Sound,  and  of  Long  Island  itself  for  a 
long  distance.  On  my  return  a  letter  was  handed  me  from 
Jacksonville.  It  was  written  by  President  and  Mrs.  Beecher 
and  Miss  Mary  Coffin.  The  tenderness  and  affection  exhibited 
in  it  were  very  cheering  and  satisfactory  to  me.  Mr.  Beecher, 
in  speaking  of  my  purpose  to  return,  says,  "We  shall  bid  you 
welcome  and  look  for  the  time  with  deep  interest."  The  letter 
brought  intelligence  of  the  death  of  Mills  in  the  Sophomore  class 


80  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

in  Illinois  College,  and  a  great  loss  it  is  to  the  cause  in  our 
valley.  Miss  Sarah  Coffin,  I  am  sorry  to  learn,  is  the  tenant  of 
a  sick  room.  I  hope  the  dear  Lord  will  restore  her  again  to 
health  and  the  society  of  her  friends .  Tell  Mr .  Searle  that  Ed- 
mund Aikin  is  in  Camillus,  New  York,  studying  law  in  James 
Lawrence's  office.  Their  uncle,  Asahel  Gay  lord,  is  preaching 
in  North  Goshen.  Winter  has  touched  us  very  lightly.  Indeed, 
I  have  no  recollection  of  one  so  mild.  I  do  not  think  it  has 
frozen  more  than  half  the  nights  since  the  month  came  in. 

To  the  same: 

New  Haven,  February  15,  1838. —  *  *  *  *  I  will 
give  3rou  some  account  of  my  studies,  and  then  some  items  in 
regard  to  other  things.  We  are  diving  into  Theology  vigor- 
ously just  now.  The  topics  on  hand  are,  The  Primitive  State 
of  Man,  His  Temptation  and  Fall,  and  Original  Sin  and  Deprav- 
ity, under  the  the  distinct  heads  of  Total  and  Native.  Dr. 
Taylor  is  clear  and  interesting  on  all  points.  I  take  an  abstract 
of  his  lectures,  and  have  already  filled  ten  sheets.  They  may 
be  invaluable  to  me  in  the  future. 

[In  the  great  Theological  controversy  of  that  day,  Mr. 
Gaylord  was  with  Dr.  Taylor  in  his  views — views  which  have 
since  prevailed,  but  were  then  in  advance  of  the  age.] 

President  Day  has  recently  published  a  book  on  the  self- 
determining  power  of  the  Avill.  Next  term  I  intend  studying 
hard,  but  shall  be  careful  how  I  overdo  by  neglecting  exercise. 
I  am  at  loss  to  know  what  to  do  another  year.  I  shall  finish  Dr. 
Taylor's  course  this  year,  and  that  will  be  about  all  that  is 
valuable  here.  Would  like  to  spend  another  year,  or  a  portion 
of  it,  investigating  themes  and  writing  sermons,  especially  on 
doctrinal  subjects.  To  do  this  J  shall  need  constant  access  to 
books  of  reference — more  than  I  can  draw  from  the  libraries 
here.  I  would  like  to  associate  with  some  experienced  minister 
who  has  a  good  library,  and  will  give  me  suggestions  in  refer- 
ence to  sermonizing,  and  will  assist  me  to  move  more  in  practical 
life  than  I  can  in  New  Haven .  I  do  not  know  where  I  can  find 
a  better  man  for  that  end  than   President  Beecher.      He  is  a 


BIBLE    STUDY.  81 

superior  man  intellectually  and  religiously — lias  a  choice  library 
and  understands  sermonizing.  I  shall  write  to  him  asking  his 
advice,  which  I  shall  esteem  of  great  value  in  making  my  decision. 
I  mean  to  read  the  Bible  with  more  careful  attention  this 
year  than  I  did  last.  I  find  new  keys  to  unlock  its  hidden 
treasures,  consequently  my  interest  in  many  portions  is  greatly 
augmented.  Will  tell  you  my  daily  practice  in  reading  it  at 
present.  With  the  Comprehensive  Commentary  and  Encyclo- 
pedia of  Religious  Knowledge  by  me,  I  read  three  chapters  every 
morning,  using  all  the  help  I  can  get  from  these,  then  read  one 
chapter  in  course  with  all  the  notes  of  every  kind,  and  endeavor 
to  study  it  out  thoroughly.  This  with  my  private  devotions 
occupies  not  far  from  two  hours. 

As  I  was  reading  Locke  on  the  Human  Understanding,  this 
morning,  the  penny  post  entered  bearing  your  welcome  letter. 
The  feeling  most  prominent  was  thanksgiving  to  the  Giver  of 
all  good.  I  rejoice  that  you  are  so  pleasantly  situated  in  Mr. 
K.'s  family.  Your  instructor  has  my  entire  confidence,  for  I 
first  taught  him  and  know  what  he  is.  You  speak  of  a  want  of 
confidence  in  God.  This  is  one  of  my  trials.  It  may  be  we  do 
not  labor  enough  to  attain  it.  When  we  wish  very  much  to 
secure  an  object,  we  put  forth  direct  efforts  to  obtain  it,  and  the 
greater  the  difficulties,  the  more  constant  must  be  our  endeavors. 
A  sense  of  God's  presence  helps  greatly  to  inspire  this  confidence. 
A  letter  from  Norfolk  speaks  of  the  death  of  Mr.  A.  Brown  and 
Mrs.  Asher  Smith,  living  in  the  south  part  of  the  town.  *  * 
Locke  advances  the  idea  that  the  mind  does  not  think  when  we 
are  asleep  unless  we  are  dreaming,  and  gives  as  his  reason  that 
on  awaking  we  do  not  recollect  anything  that  passed.  But  we 
know  of  many  instances  of  somnambulism  where  persons  labor, 
walk,  talk,  etc.,  and  yet  on  awaking  have  no  recollection  of  it. 
If  the  mind  were  inactive,  how  shall  we  account  for  the  phe- 
nomena ?  The  machine  must  get  going  of  itself  and  stop  by 
chance!  You  ask,  "How  early  does  memory  commence?" 
Answer,  I  do  not  know.  We  must  be  careful  in  metaphysics 
not  to  carry  our  conclusions  too  far. 

A  trial  has  taken  place  before  the  Superior  Court  in  this  city 
7 


82  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

which  resulted  in  the  conviction  of  two  men  under  the  riot  law, 
who  were  sentenced  to  pay  a  fine  of  twenty  dollars  each  and  be 
imprisoned  six  months.  The  riot  took  place  at  an  anti-slavery 
meeting  in  Meriden,  while  Mr.  Ludlow  was  giving  a  lecture  on 
the  subject.  The  meeting  was  held  in  the  afternoon,  and  during 
the  exercises  several  persons  entered  who  went  out  after  a 
minute  or  two  and  commenced  throwing  eggs  at  the  speaker, 
one  of  which  broke  on  the  head  of  the  minister  of  the  place. 
The  door  was  then  closed  against  them,  but  they  soon  returned 
with  a  crowbar  and  a  stick  of  timber  with  which  they  broke  in 
the  door,  and  commenced  pelting  the  congregation  with  a  piti- 
less shower  of  eggs.  This  broke  up  the  meeting,  and  Mr.  Lud- 
low on  retiring  had  his  hat  knocked  off  and  his  back  covered 
with  the  contents  of  broken  eggs.  Law  has  triumphed  in  this 
instance.  Would  it  might  in  eveiy  other,  especially  at  Alton! 
But  I  hear  of  no  effectual  measures  taken  to  bring  Love  joy's 
murderers  to  justice.  Can  it  be  true,  as  is  stated  in  some  of  the 
papers,  that  the  grand  jury  of  Alton  have  indicted  those  who 
tried  to  defend  themselves  against  the  violence  of  that  riotous 
mob!  *  *  *  *  My  room-mate,  Budington,  is  absent 
for  a  few  days  preaching  in  Durham,  where  there  is  a  revival. 
Have  been  asked  to  take  an  agency  during  the  spring  vacation 
in  behalf  of  3"Oung  men  in  the  college  who  are  in  straitened 
circumstances.  You  may  be  interested  to  hear  that  Mr.  S. 
Whittlesey  is  married  to  a  Miss  Eunice  Smith  of  Salisbury,  and 
has  settled  down  at  the  old  homestead  in  New  Preston .  This 
change  of  residence  was  occasioned  by  the  death  of  his  father. 

Yale  Theological  Seminary,  New  Haven,  March  1, 1838. — 
Secretaries  of  A.  H.  M.  S.:  A  few  3roung  men,  members  of 
this  seminary,  have  become  deeply  interested  in  that  section  of 
our  country  lying  west  of  the  Mississippi,  commonly  known  as 
the  "Iowa  District,"  or  "Black  Hawk  Purchase."  Seeing  its 
destitute  condition ,  both .  as  respects  education  and  religious 
institutions,  and  learning  that  the  District  is  filling  up  with  a 
rapidity  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  our  countiy,  we  feel  a 
strong  conviction  that,  if  the  way  can  be  opened,  it  is  our  duty 
to  plant  our  feet  west  of  the  Father  of   Waters.     We  wish  to 


IOWA    EDUCATIONAL    ASSOCIATION.  83 

concentrate  our  influence,  and  bring  it  to  bear  upon  the  future 
state  of  Iowa  while  yet  in  its  infancy.  Our  object  will  be  two- 
fold— to  preach  the  gospel,  and  to  open  a  school  at  the  outset, 
which  can  soon  be  elevated  to  the  rank  of  a  college.  Knowing 
that  such  an  enterprise  cannot  be  accomplished  b}'  individual 
effort,  the  following  brethren  are  read}'  to  associate  and  pledge 
themselves  to  engage  in  the  work,  if  the  way  can  be  opened  so 
as  to  warrant  the  undertaking:  J.  P.  Stewart,  M.  Richardson, 
H.  D.  Kitchel,  A.  B.  Haile,  R.  Gay  lord,  J.  A.  Clark,  M.  Mat- 
tocks. Upon  mature  consideration  we  have  thought  best  to  lay 
the  subject  before  your  Society  and  put  the  inquiry,  How  much 
may  we  expect  you  to  do  toward  founding  such  an  enterprise  ? 
It  is  our  purpose  to  enlist  one  or  two  more  of  the  right  stamp, 
who  will  throw  themselves  into  the  work,  determined  not  to 
yield  to  any  obstacle  which  is  not  insurmountable.  One  of  our 
number,  Stewart,  was  educated  at  the  west,  and  has  traveled 
extensively  in  the  Iowa  District.  The  writer  of  this  has  spent 
two  and  one-half  years  as  teacher  in  Illinois  College,  at  Jack- 
sonville, so  that  we  are  not  acting  without  such  knowledge  as 
will  enable  us  to  come  to  an  intelligent  decision.  The  tract  of 
country  we  propose  to  enter,  embraces  an  area  of  nine  thousand 
square  miles  at  present,  and  this  will  doubtless  soon  be  enlarged 
by  other  purchases  from  the  Indians  still  further  west.  It  has 
a  population  of  from  thirty  to  fifty  thousand,  and  by  its  superior 
soil,  local  advantages  and  salubrious  climate,  holds  out  strong 
inducements  to  an  industrious  class  of  emigrants,  who  are  mak- 
ing their  way  thither  in  large  numbers.  Its  destitution  of  school 
and  religious  privileges  is  almost  entire.  Towns  and  villages 
are  springing  rapidly  into  being,  one  of  which,  Burlington, 
already  numbers  one  thousand  people,  and  it  is  of  the  greatest 
importance  that  a  stand  should  be  early  made  by  the  friends  of 
education  and  religion.  Friends  will  be  provided  to  support  one 
or  two  of  us  as  teachers.  The  others  will  devote  themselves  to 
preaching,  and  will  be  under  the  necessity  of  looking  to  you  for 
a  partial  support.  As  one  of  the  above  individuals,  and  in  their 
behalf,  I  now  address  you.  Will  3-011  write  us  as  speedily  as 
convenient,  expressing  your  views  of  our  prospective  enterprise, 


84  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLOED. 

and  stating  what  the  society  will  be  able  to  do  for  us.     This  will 

throw  light  upon  our  paths,  and  we  trust  promote  the  object 

for  which  you  are  laboring.     In  behalf  of  these  brethren,  I  am 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

Reuben  Gaylokd. 

To  Miss  Burton : 

New  Haven.  March  17,  1838. — Our  Iowa  enterprise  is  suc- 
ceeding admirably  at  length.  Our  number,  seven,  consists  of 
some  of  the  most  enterprising  young  men  in  the  seminary. 
Had  a  letter  from  Mr.  Coffin,  which  came  in  twelve  days,  giving 
me  some  particulars  of  the  revival  at  college  and  in  Jackson- 
ville. I  should  like  to  be  there  and  see  some  of  my  scholars 
who  have  been  hopefully  converted.  A  work  of  great  power  is 
in  progress  in  Hartford.  A  meeting  is  being  held  in  the  Baptist 
church  in  this  city,  and  the  interest  is  extending  to  other 
churches.  Air.  Ludlow  is  laid  aside  for  the  present  with  throat 
trouble,  and  has  gone  to  Philadelphia  for  a  visit.  A  letter  from 
home  speaks  of  interest  in  Canaan  and  Norfolk.  A  State  Anti- 
Slavery  Society  has  recently  been  formed  in  Connecticut.  The 
cause  is  steadily  gaining  ground.  Clay  and  Webster  have  been 
giving  some  of  their  great  speeches  in  Congress.  *  *  * 
A  new  church  has  been  formed  in  the  western  part  of  New 
Haven  this  week.  I  am  pursuing  my  studies 

quietly  and  constantly.  Have  finished  for  the  present  the  sub- 
jects of  total  depravity,  original  sin  and  the  atonement.  My 
room-mate,  Budington,  left  yesterday  on  a  visit  to  Illinois.  He 
goes  with  his  father  and  will  probably  spend  the  summer  there 
and  return  in  the  autumn.  I  have  a  new  room-mate,  Mr.  II. 
Day,  of  the  Junior  class,  and  am  much  pleased  with  him.  The 
weather  has  been  delightful  since  March  came  in.  The  frost  is 
out  and  the  ground  settled.  We  have  had  but  little  snow  or 
severe  cold  weather  all  winter. 

To  Miss  Burton  he  wrote  the  following  account  of  the 
celebration  of  the  second  centennial  of  the  founding  of 
New  Haven  Colony: 


NEW    HAVEN    CENTENNIAL.  85 

April  25,  1838. — To  the  citizens  of  New  Haven  this  has, 
been  the  day  of  a  hundred  years.  The  second  centennial 
anniversary  of  the  founding-  of  our  beautiful  cit}-  has  today 
been  celebrated  b}*  all  denominations  of  Christians,  all  parties 
in  politics,  and  by  persons  of  every  age,  color,  sex  and 
profession.  As  the  sun  dawned  upon  us  this  morning 
in  his  splendor,  and  all  nature  put  on  a  smiling  face, 
our  ears  were  saluted  with  the  roar  of  cannon  and  the 
peal  of  bells.  We  arose  and  prepared  to  take  our  part  in  the 
exercises  of  the  da}r,  which  were  as  follows:  At  nine  in  the 
morning  a  procession  was  formed,  consisting  of  clerg3'men, 
lawyers,  physicians,  city  officers,  strangers  of  distinction, 
students,  citizens,  and  not  less  than  two  thousand  school 
children  with  their  teachers.  The  procession  moved  on  to 
the  corner  of  George  and  College  streets,  where,  under  a 
large  oak  tree,  two  hundred  years  ago  our  Pilgrim  Fathers 
first  met  on  this  ground  to  worship  God  on  His  holy  day. 
Then  a  prayer  was  offered  and  a  Psalm  sung  in  ancient  style. 
The  following  is  a  true  copy: 

1st.  O  take  us  Lord  unto  thy  grace, 

Convert  our  minds  to  thee, 
Show  forth  to  us  thy  joy  full  face, 
And  we  full  safe  shall  bee. 

2nd.        From  Egypt  where  it  grew  not  well, 
Thou  brought'st  a  vine  full  deare 
The  heathen  folk  thou  didst  expel, 
And  thou  didst  plant  it  there. 

3rd.         Thou  didst  prepare  for  it  a  place, 
And  set  the  rootes  full  fast, 
That  it  did  grow  and  spring  apace, 
And  filled  the  land  at  last. 

4th.         O  Lord  of  Hosts,  through  thy  good  grace, 
Convert  us  unto  thee: 
Behold  us  with  a  pleasant  face, 
And  then  full  safe  are  wee. 

Probably  five  thousand  voices  united  in  singing  this  psalm 
to  the  tune  of  St.  Martins.  The  procession  then  moved  down 
George  to  State  street,   and  up  that  to   Elm   street,    by    the 


86  LIFE  OP  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

spot  where  the  first  house  built  iu  New  Haveu  stood — then 
entered  the  church  and  listened  to  very  appropriate  and 
interesting  exercises.  A  historical  address  was  given  by  Prof. 
Kingsley,  which  was  full  of  interest.  He  traced  the  causes 
of  the  early  settlement  of  New  England,  the  struggles  and 
difficulties  of  the  infant  colony,  and  its  rise  and  progress  to 
the  present  time  with  great  simplicity  and  clearness.  Perfect 
good  order  has  prevailed  through  the  day,  and  after  the 
ringing  of  bells  and  firing  of  cannon  again,  the  citizens  have 
retired  to  their  homes — no  doubt  with  feelings  of  pride  and 
satisfaction ,  as  they  think  of  the  past  and  look  forward  to  the 
future.  The  vast  collection  of  children  was  an  interesting 
feature  of  the  day,  but  it  is  a  solemn  thought  that  long  ere 
another  day  like  this  shall  come  around,  all  these  thousands, 
even  the  youngest,  will  have  been  laid  in  their  graves.  If  we 
would  do  our  generation  any  good,  we  must  do  it  now. 

The  New  Haven  Colony  was  established  on  the  Quin- 
nipiac  river  in  1638.  It  was  first  called  Quinnipiac,  then 
changed  to  New  Haven.  This  colony  was  one  of  exceptional 
importance.  Its  leaders  were  men  of  wealth  and  high 
position  at  home — some  of  them  men  of  learning,  who  had 
lived  in  cities  on  the  continent  and  seen  the  workings  of 
the  institutions  of  different  countries.  They  had  the  benefit 
of  their  experience  in  the  colonies  already  planted  in  New 
England,  in  whose  outfit  some  of  them  had  been  pecuniarily 
interested,  and  knew,  before  leaving  their  home  in  the  old 
country,  what  dangers  to  provide  against,  and  what  arrange- 
ments to  make  for  their  comfort.  There  is  abundant 
evidence  that  they  came  with  their  plans  fully  perfected, 
for  they  were  not  the  men  to  risk  their  fortunes  and  lives  in 
a  wilderness,  without  knowing  what  they  wanted  and  what 
they  were  going  to  do.  They  designed  to  build  up  a  com- 
mercial city,  and  knowing  as  practical  London  merchants 
what  would  be  its  future  wants,  laid  out  streets  of  such 
breadth  as  had  not,  till  long  after,  their  counterpart  on  this 
continent.     They  provided  that  there  should  be  a  market 


NEW    HAVEN    PIONEEES.  87 

place,  or  public  square,  of  fifteen  acres  for  the  transaction 
of  business.  Some  of  them  were  acquainted  with  the 
Universities  of  England  and  Holland,  and  knew  the  impor- 
tance of  such  institutions.  From  the  first  they  designed  to 
have,  not  only  a  system  of  universal  education,  but  a  Latin 
school,  a  University  and  a  public  library.  All  that  Yale 
College  is  to-day,  or  will  be  for  many  years  to  come,  was 
doubtless  within  their  intelligent  contemplation  in  1638. 
In  a  word,  they  came  with  the  intention  of  establishing  a 
state  founded  on  education  and  religion.  Their  wisdom 
and  foresight  was  also  exhibited  in  providing  laborers  and 
artisans,  skilled  in  every  kind  of  trade  and  handicraft,  and 
this  goes  far  to  explain  why  their  descendants  in  later  days 
have  distinguished  themselves  by  valuable  inventions  in 
almost  every  department  of  human  labor. 

The  voyage  across  the  ocean  was  made  in  the  ship 
Hector,  and  for  the  first  four  months  after  their  arrival  they 
found  shelter  by  making  burrows  in  the  sides  of  the  sandy 
hills,  an  example  followed  by  some  of  our  western  emigrants 
in  these  later  days,  and  called  by  them  "dug-outs.".  These 
are  often  transformed  by  the  industry  and  skill  of  wife  or 
daughters  into  comfortable  homes.  Afterward  Governor 
English,  Mr.  Davenport  and  others  built  elegant  houses. 
The  former  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  noblest  men  of 
our  New  England  history.  After  a  long  and  bitter  contro- 
versy between  the  Connecticut  Colony,  with  Hartford  for  its 
leading  town,  and  the  New  Haven  Colony,  a  union  between 
the  two  was  effected  in  1664. 

From  letters  to  Miss  Burton : 

New  Haven,  April  28,  1838.— This  is  my  birthday.  Can 
it  be  possible  that  1  am  twenty-six  years  old?  It  is  even  so. 
Have  spent  the  last  ten  days  in  my  agency  in  this  city.  Mon- 
day morning  I  commence  in  the  neighboring  towns,  and  shall 
spend  the  rest  of  my  vacation  in  this  way.  Went  home  before 
beginning  this  work,  and  had  such  a  good  visit  with  my  dear 


88  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

mother.  Election  comes  next  week.  Our  governor.  William 
W.  Ellsworth,  and  Mr.  Williams,  chief  justice  of  the  state,  are 
both  deacons  in  Dr.  Hawes'  church  in  Hartford. 

May  26. — I  have  visited  nearly  all  the  towns  in  Connecticut 
to  solicit  aid  for  these  young  men,  and  have  everywhere  been 
treated  with  uniform  kindness  and  attention.  At  Wethersfield, 
I  called  upon  Miss  Stillman,  one  of  the  ladies  that  are  assist inu 
Hitchcock,  and  gave  her  a  good  account  of  him.  She  is  an 
interesting  lady.  At  Rocky  Hill  I  spent  the  night  with  old  Dr. 
Chapin.  He  inquired  particularly  about  all  parts  of  the  world 
where  I  have  been.  I  was  much  interested  in  the  old  gentle- 
man. Have  returned  again  to  commence  the  term.  Dr.  Taylor 
is  still  absent,  attending  General  Assembly.  *  *  *  Legisla- 
ture is  in  session.  They  have  appointed  Dennis  Kimberly  of 
New  Haven,  senator,  in  place  of  Hon.  J.  W.  Xiles.  There  has 
been  a  meeting  of  the  State  Anti-slavery  Society  during  my 
absence;  said  to  have  been  very  interesting.  The  cause  is  gain- 
ing ground  rapidly.  Before  this  reaches  you,  your  people  will 
receive  a  line  from  Watertown.  bearing  tidings  of  the  death  of 
your  grandmother.     She  lived  to  a  good  old  age. 

We  shall  soon  have  a  meeting  for  consultation  of  those  inter- 
ested in  our  Iowa  college  plan .  But  money  will  be  needed  for 
such  an  enterprise,  and  now  is  a  hard  time  to  get  it.  Perhaps 
we  will  defer  the  college  effort  till  the  pressure  is  over.  But 
times  are  getting  better.  Banks  are  beginning  to  pay  specie, 
and  things  are  looking  up.  *  *  *  *  I  am  not  feeling 
well  as  usual  and  find  close  application  to  study  very  difficult. 
Am  yet  in  the  dark  as  to  next  year,  but  Providence  will  direct. 
I  long  to  be  preaching  to  d}Ting  men  the  word  of  life. 

Mr.  Gaylord  seems  to  have  given  up  his  cherished  idea 
of  spending  a  year  under  the  guidance  of  some  clergyman 
of  superior  talent  and  rich  experience,  whose  advice  and 
help  he  felt  would  be  invaluable  to  him  in  the  future.  He 
wished  to  understand  the  practical  side  of  a  minister's  life 
and  work,  that  he  might  be,  both  in  theory  and  practice,  a 
<(  workman  that  needeth  not  to  be  ashamed."     We  cannot 


NEW    RESPONSIBILITIES.  89 

now  look  back  over  the  years  and  see  what  caused  him  to 
relinquish  this  kind  of  preparation  upon  which  his  heart 
seemed  to  have  been  set,  and  which  appeared  to  him  so 
needful  to  success.  Possibly  the  last  sentence  in  the  above 
letter  is  the  opening  of  a  vista  through  which  we  can  begin 
to  trace  something  of  those  motives,  and  subsequent  letters 
reveal  still  further  some  of  the  reasons  for  his  willing  and 
glad  entrance  at  once  upon  his  future  labors. 

New  Preston,  June  18,  1838. — My  Dear  Sarah:  I  have 
been  at  length  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry. 
Last  Tuesday,  June  12,1  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  South 
Consociation  of  Litchfield  county,  which  met  at  Litchfield.  I 
immediately  received  an  invitation  from  a  committee  of  the 
church  and  society  in  New  Preston  to  supply  their  pulpit, 
which  I  accepted.  You  will  recollect  that  this  is  the  place  where 
I  taught  the  academy  for  a  few  months  after  graduating  in 
1834.  Yesterday  then  as  a  regularly  licensed  minister  of  the 
gospel,  I  preached  for  the  first  time.  Solemn  and  weighty  are 
the  responsibilities  now  upon  me,  but  let  me  not  shrink  from 
them,  for  Christ  says,  "My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee."  The 
point  so  long  before  my  mind  has  now  been  reached.  Eleven 
years  ago  1  professed  faith  in  Christ.  Soon  afterward  it  became 
with  me  a  settled  purpose  to  devote  myself  to  the  gospel  min- 
istry. God  has  borne  me  up  amid  all  my  discouragements,  and 
now  my  hear!  swells  with  gratitude  to  Him  as  I  stand  and 
review  the  past.  Oh,  how  often,  especially  during  the  past 
week,  while  assuming  new  responsibilities  and  entering  into  new 
relations  to  the  church,  have  I  felt  that  such  a  friend  as  your 
letters  show  you  to  be  was  invaluable!  If  we  ever  attain  the 
object  of  our  wishes,  as  I  believe  we  shall,  the  thought  that  the 
anticipated  cup  of  joy  might  have  been  dashed  from  our  bps, 
will  fill  us  with  gratitude  and  thanksgiving  to  God.  As  we 
have  been  united  in  heart,  1  trust  we  shall  be  in  action  for  His 
glory,  on  the  fertile  plains  of  Iowa. 

A  letter  has  been  received  from  Stewart,  who  is  safe  at  Den- 
mark. Iowa.     He  writes  that  the  country  is  fast  filling  up  and 


90  LIFE  OP  REUBEN  GAYLOKD. 

it  is  highly  important  that  some  one  should  be  stationed  in  each 
of  seven  places  which  he  mentioned.  Clark  I  suppose  is  on  the 
ground  before  this  time.  Haile  will  leave  in  the  fall  and  open 
an  academy  in  Burlington.  Mattocks  will  go  soon  and  Kitchel 
and  Richardson  not  till  spring.  It  seems  from  present  indica- 
tions to  be  my  duty  to  go  on  this  fall  and  occupy  some  one  of 
the  important  points.  80  the  Association  decide.  The  reasons 
for  speedy  action  are  two- fold.  First,  a  stroke  struck  now  may 
be  more  effectual  than  several  after  a  little  delay.  Then  the 
points  our  enterprise  calls  us  to  fill,  may  be  preoccupied  by  men 
who  will  neither  favor  or  co-operate  with  us.  80  that  unless  I 
see  cause  to  alter  my  decision,  I  shall  soon  begin  preparations 
for  my  departure. 

Yale  College,  Theological  Department,  July  4,  1838. — 
Secretaries  American  Home  Missionary  Society:  I  wish 
now  to  present  to  your  Board  my  application  for  a  commission 
to  labor  in  the  work  of  the  gospel  ministry  in  the  Territory 
of  Iowa.  I  wrote  you  four  months  since  in  behalf  of  our 
Iowa  Association,  and  your  reply,  so  full  of  encouragement, 
was  most  gratefully  received.  Our  number  in  this  enterprise 
is  seven,  two  of  whom,  Clark  and  Stewart,  are  already  in 
the  new  territory.  Letters  received  from  Stewart  leave  us 
no  doubt  but  that  we  have  chosen  the  right  held  in  the  right 
time.  It  is  my  purpose,  therefore,  to  leave  for  the  west 
immediately  after  the  close  of  the  present  term,  or  not  far 
from  the  20th  of  next  month.  The  place  which  I  have  more 
particularly  in  view  is  Mt.  Pleasant,  the  county  seat  of  Henry 
county.  Let  my  commission  cover  the  county,  if  you  please. 
I  have  nothing  of  this  world's  goods  except  a  little  laid  by 
since  I  left  college,  and  this  must  all  be  expended  in  my 
outfit.  I  would  very  much  like  an  appropriation  of  thirty-five 
or  forty  dollars  to  cany  me  to  my  field  of  labor. 

Yours  respectfully,         Reuben  Gatlord. 

To  Miss  Burton: 

New  Haven,  July  5,  1838. — I  find  my  mind  more  and  more 
interested  in  the  west,  especially  in  the  enterprise  in  which  I 


APPROACHING  DEPARTURE.  91 

have  enlisted.  Our  College  Association  wish  to  establish  upon 
a  firm  basis  a  college  for  the  future  state  of  Iowa,  also  to  en- 
courage and  assist  in  the  establishment  of  academies  throughout 
the  district  and  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  the  general  interests 
of- education  in  the  common  school  department.  We  shall  aim 
to  lay  our  plans  so  as  to  secure  an  endowment  for  permanent 
funds  in  lands,  which  may  be  worth  ten  years  hence  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  This  can  be  done  with  comparative  ease  in 
the  first  settlement  of  a  country,  when  land  is  plenty  and  cheap. 
But  all  of  our  number,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  are  going 
there  to  preach  the  gospel,  not  to  engage  in  educational  work 
as  a  business,  except  as  trustees  of  the  college  we  hope  to  build, 
and  to  advise  and  help  the  people  in  the  all-important  work  of 
a  thorough  education.  We  have  laid  this  subject  before  the 
Home  Missionary  Board.  They  smile  upon  the  enterprise,  and 
have  promised  to  do  all  in  their  power  to  aid  in  carrying  it 
forward.  *  *  *  *  Have  received  a  letter  recently 
from  my  old  room-mate  in  college,  H.  G.  French.  He  expects 
to  go  on  a  mission  to  Siam  in  the  fall  or  spring;  says  I  must 
write  him  once  a  year  at  least,  and  in  return  has  promised  some- 
thing for  my  monthly  concert.  Learned  last  evening  from 
George  Starr  that  Mr.  Myron  Gay  lord  had  gone  to  Round 
Prairie  to  live. 

July  27. — Business  has  literally  accumulated  upon  me 
beyond  my  powers  of  dispatch.  I  have  preached  every  Sabbath 
since  I  was  licensed,  and  engaged  for  three  more,  which  will 
bring  me  up  to  commencement.  The  labor  of  preparing 
sermons  is  great.  Add  to  this  my  correspondence,  which  is 
increasing  just  at  this  time  on  account  of  my  approaching 
departure,  preparations  for  my  journey,  etc.,  and  I  can 
scarcely  keep  track  of  old  Father  Time  in  the  primer  with  his 
scythe  in  hand.  *  I  went  home  last  week 

and  had  a  long  conversation  with  father  and  mother  about 
my  plans  for  the  future.  They  raised  not  one  objection  to 
the  course  of  life  I  have  chosen,  and  they,  especially  mother, 
expressed  a  deep  interest  in  you.  I  told  them  that  I  was  going 
far  away  from   them,  but  not  from  God,   and  I  hoped  they 


92  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

would  give  me  up  and  be  at  peace  respecting  me.  Says 
mother,  "I  have  given  you  up  long  ago!"  Oh,  who  can 
tell  the  depth,  the  power,  of  a  mother's  love?  M}r  mother! 
I  love  her  more  and  more,  and  if  I  ever  get  to  heaven  I 
doubt  not  I  shall  meet  her  there.  I  know  her  daily  prayers 
have  long  ascended  for  me.  Now  you  will  be  included,  and  I 
fully  believe  they  will  be  answered. 

But  hark!  from  Iowa  comes  a  call,  a  loud  and  earnest  note 
for  men.  Come  forth,  ye  consecrated  ones!  Plant  the 
standard  of  the  cross  and  unfurl  the  gospel  banner  beyond 
the  Father  of  Waters!  To  the  Home  Missionary  Society  I  have 
sent  that  call,  and  the  reply  is,  "Go,  and  the  Lord  be  with 
you."  Yes,  I  have  received  nvy  commission  to  preach  the 
gospel  in  Henry  county,  District  of  Iowa,  for  the  term  of 
twelve  months  from  the  commencement  of  labor.  Thus  the 
Lord  is  opening  the  door  into  his  vineyard,  and  saying,  "Go, 
proclaim  my  truth  unto  the  people."  I  am  to  be  located  at 
Mt.  Pleasant,  the  county  seat  of  Henry  county.  Am  to 
receive  four  hundred  dollars  for  the  year,  and  forty  dollars 
for  traveling  expenses.  I  have  decided  to  leave  on  the  21st 
or  22nd  of  August.  Am  gradually  drawing  in  my  net,  and 
and  hope  rightly  to  dispose  of  its  contents  before  that  time. 
A  classmate,  Mr.  Murdock,  is  expecting  to  go  on  with  me. 
He  will  be  licensed  in  a  few  weeks,  and  has  applied  to  the 
A.  H.  M.  S.  for  a  commission.  He  expects  to  labor  in 
Illinois.* 

Before  his  leaving  the  east  the  question  of  ordination 
came  up,  and  with  the  mistaken  idea  then  widely  enter- 
tained, that  Congregationalism  was  not  suited  to  the  west, 
Mr.  Gaylord's  advisers  proposed  that  his  ordination  be 
deferred  until  he  reached  his  field  and  be  there  performed 
by  Presbytery.  To  this  he  replied  that  if  he  were  ever 
ordained  it  should  be  by  a  Congregational  body  as  a 
Congregationalist.  That  settled  the  matter,  and  in  August 
of  that  year — 1S3S — in  Plymouth,  Connecticut,  he  was 
by  council  regularly  ordained  a  Congregational  minister. 

*  Died  at  Port  Gibson,  Missouri,  Jan.  11,  1861. 


ON    THE    WAY.  93 

To  Miss  Burton: 

Cincinnati,  September  3,  1838. — I  left  home  two  weeks  ago 
to-day,  reached  Wheeling  on  Saturday  morning  and  spent  the 
Sabbath  greatly  annoyed  by  mosquitoes.  We  have  been  one 
week  in  coming  from  AVheeling  to  this  place,  a  little  less  than 
four  hundred  miles.  But  every  day  is  diminishing  the  long 
distance,  though  not  as  rapidly  as  I  would  like,  for  I  did  hope 
to  see  the  Mississippi  by  this  time.  But  boating  is  very  slow. 
The  Ohio  river  was  hardly  ever  known  to  be  as  low  before.  In 
many  places  there  are  not  more  than  two  feet  of  water.  Have 
been  quite  sick  on  the  river,  but  am  better.  AVe  have  been  fast 
on  the  sand  bars  two  days,  and  have  been  compelled  to  lie  by 
all  the  time  at  night.  Have  also  been  subjected  to  various 
other  hindrances  too  numerous  to  mention.  Our  boat  grounded 
and  stuck  fast  sixty  miles  below  Wheeling ,  consequently  all  the 
passengers  got  off  on  to  this  boat — the  Adventure,  bound  to 
Galena.  I  did  not  write  before  leaving,  for  I  expected  to  go  as 
fast  as  a  letter.  Shall  hope  to  land  at  Quincy  some  time  next 
week.  Your  affectionate  R. 


V. 


BLAZING   HIS   PATH. 


1838-1843. 


Indian  warfare  and  frontier  life,  have  produced  numerous  unnamed 
heroes  and  heroines,  worthy  of  Spartan  fame. — Fowler. 

"The  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness.  Prepare  ye  the  way  of 
the  Lord,  make  straight  in  the  desert  a  highway  for  our  God." 


It  may  be  glorious  to  write 

Thoughts  that  shall  glad  the  two  or  three 
High  souls,  like  those  far  stars  that  come  in  sight 

Once  in  a  century. 
But  better  far  it  is  to  speak 

One  simple  word,  that  now  and  then 
Shall  waken  a  new  nature  in  the  weak 

And  sinful  souls  of  men. 


— Lowell. 


Truth  forever  on  the  scaffold, 
Wrong  forever  on  the  throne. 

Yet  that  scaffold  sways  the  future, 
And  behind  the  dim  unknown 

Standeth  God!  within  the  shadow, 
Keeping  watch  above  His  own. 


-Selected. 


We  see  through  tears  her  glory  won, 

The  golden  circlet  of  life's  work  well  done, 

Set  with  the  shining  pearl  of  perfect  peace. 


— Selected. 


CHAPTER  V. 
Iowa. 

Black  Hawk  War— First  Settlement — Marriage — Mt.  Pleasant — 
Work — Organization  of  Churches  at  Danville,  Fairfield,  Farm- 
ington,  Brighton,  Washington,  and  Mt.  Pleasant — Removal  to 
Danville  —  Flint  Creek  —  Abner  Kneeland  —  Death  of  Mrs. 
Gaylord — Congregational  Association  of  Iowa — Visit  to  the 
East — Touring — Two  Trips  to  Davenport — Appeal  for  Help — 
Second  Marriage — Log  Cabin  Life — A  Prairie  Fire — Pioneer 
Experiences— Funerals. 

From  the  Congregational  Observer,  Hartford,  Connecti- 
cut, written  by  Mr.  Gaylord  : 

In  the  spring  of  1832  the  quiet  and  security  of  the  then 
frontier  settlements,  were  disturbed  by  the  alarm  of  war. 
The  Indians  belonging  to  the  tribe  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes 
attacked  the  whites  in  the  northern  part  of  Illinois  about  fifty 
miles  from  Chicago,  murdering  and  scalping  whole  families. 
They  surprised  and  overpowered  companies  of  troops,  and  thus 
tilled  all  the  region  with  the  panic  and  dread  always  excited  by 
the  approach  of  hostile  Indians  armed  with  the  tomahawk  and 
scalping  knife.  A  generous  sympathy  and  quick  co-operation 
were  excited  among  the  residents  of  sister  states,  which  soon 
brought  to  their  aid  a  sufficient  number  of  troops  to  compel  the 
Indians  to  flee  before  them.  They  were  defeated  in  one  or  two 
engagements,  and  at  length  a  general  battle  took  place,  in  which 
the  Indians  were  nearly  surrounded,  and  many  were  killed. 
This  battle  took  place  early  in  August,  1832,  near  the  Missis- 
sippi river,  in  what  is  now  Wisconsin  Territory.  In  less  than 
a  month,  through  the  assistance  of  the  Sioux,  a  powerful  but 
friendly  tribe  living  west  of  the  Mississippi,  Black  Hawk  and 
several  of  his  chiefs  were  taken  prisoners  and  held  as  hostages 
of  peace.  Thus  this  bloody  and  savage  war  was  speedily 
brought  to  a  close.     The  settlers  returned  to  their  homes  again 

8 


98  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

in  safety,  yet  many  in  sadness.  The  widowed  mother  mourned 
a  husband  and  sons,  dead  on  the  battlefield.  Parents  looked  in 
vain  for  the  return  of  their  children,  and  children  wept  a 
father  slain.  The  scenes  of  those  days  were  deeply  traced  in 
many  a  sorrowing  heart. 

On  the  21st  day  of  September,  1832,  a  tract  of  country 
containing  9 ,000  square  miles  on  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi 
river,  was  ceded  to  the  United  States.  Another  purchase  west 
of  this  was  afterward  made,  comprising  about  fifteen  hundred 
square  miles.  The  act  for  establishing  the  Territorial  Govern- 
ment of  Iowa  was  passed  June  12,  1838,  as  follows: 

Be  it  enacted  that  from  and  after  the  3d  day  of  July  next,  all  that 
part  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin,  which  lies  west  of  the  Mississippi 
river,  and  west  of  a  line  drawn  due  north  from  the  head  waters  or 
s  >urces  of  the  Mississippi  to  the  territorial  line,  shall,  for  the  purposes 
of  temporary  government,  be  and  constitute  a  separate  Territorial 
Government  by  the  name  of  Iowa.  [This  embraced  what  is  now  Iowa> 
Minnesota  and  Dakota.] 

It  will  be  seen  that  but  a  small  portion  of  the  territory 
proper  is  yet  in  possession  of  the  United  States.  For  beauty  of 
situation  and  natural  advantages  Iowa  exceeds  any  portion  of 
the  great  valley  I  have  ever  seen  and  most  fitly  answers  to  the 
meaning  of  its  name,  which  is  "Beautiful  Land." 

From  a  letter  to  the  Home  Missionary  Society,  dated 
Mt.  Pleasant,  Henry  county,  Iowa: 

After  a  fatiguing  journey  of  nearly  five  weeks,  I  have 
found  everything  as  favorable  here  as  I  expected,  considering 
the  age  of  the  country.  The  first  settlers  came  into  this 
county  about  four  years  since,  and  it  now  contains  not  far  from 
4,000  inhabitants  on  an  area  twenty-four  miles  square.  The 
improvements  have  been  rapid  beyond  a  parallel  in  any 
country.  The  land  in  a  large  portion  of  the  county  is  now 
in  market,  and  much  of  it  is  already  bought  and  paid  for  by 
actual  settlers.  In  some  instances  not  a  foot  of  land  remains 
unsold  in  whole  townships,  and  the  way  is  now  open  for 
permanent    improvements.     Mt.    Pleasant    is    three   years  old. 


FIRST   IOWA    WORK.  99 

It  stands  high  and  commands  an  extensive  view  of  timber 
and  prairie.  It  will  have  every  facility  for  building  when  the 
enterprise  of  the  people  shall  develop  its  natural  resources. 
I  mention  these  things  to  show  the  prospects  of  the  place  for 
future  growth.  There  has  been  occasional  preaching  here  by 
the  Methodists,  who  have  done  much  good. 

Extracts  from  Mr.  Gaylord's  journal: 

Tossed  upon  the  stormy  sea  of  life,  without  a  resting  place, 
my  journal  has  made  no  progress  for  nearly  five  months.  The 
following  is  a  brief  outline:  I  continued  to  supply  the  pulpit  in 
New  Preston  for  nine  Sabbaths,  preached  once  at  home  and  left 
for  the  west  August  20.  Was  four  weeks  and  two  days  on  the 
way  and  arrived  at  Round  Prairie  September  18,  much  fatigued. 
Met  again  my  friends,  spent  a  few  da}Ts,  then  visited  Mt.  Pleas- 
ant, Avhere  I  now  write,  and  decided  to  locate  here.  Returned 
to  Round  Prairie,  and  on  October  13  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah 
Burton,  formerly  of  Bethlehem,  Litchfield  count}-,  Connecticut. 
We  went  to  Jacksonville,  but  after  a  few  days  were  sent  for  in 
haste  on  account  of  the  sickness  of  Mrs.  Gaylord's  brother 
Henry.  Returned,  and  the  next  Saturday  evening  stood  by  his 
d\ring  bed.  His  hopes  of  heaven  were  bright.  On  Wednesday 
following  I  went  to  Griggsville  to  attend  the  General  Associa- 
tion of  Illinois.  Severely  cold  and  snow  several  inches  deep. 
On  returning  to  Round  Prairie  found  Mrs.  Gaylord's  mother 
sick  with  the  same  fever.  In  a  little  more  than  one  week  she 
died  in  peace  and  went  we  doubt  not  to  her  heavenly  rest.  The 
sickness  in  our  family  detained  us  nearly  a  month  from  our  field 
of  labor.  We  left  for  Iowa  November  27,  and  reached  Mt. 
Pleasant  December  1,  1838.  Sabbath,  December  2,  preached 
on  the  subject  of  unbelief.  Spent  the  week  at  Mr.  Berry's,  Mr. 
Tiffany's  and  Dr.  Stephenson's,  and  experienced  much  kindness. 
Sabbath,  December  9,  preached  at  Mt.  Pleasant  from  "What 
shall  it  profit  a  man,"  etc.,  and  in  the  evening  from  "Without 
God  in  the  world";  16th,  preached  at  New  London — forty 
hearers;  and  17th,  at  Danville,  from  Matthew  6:6;  21st,  com- 
menced housekeeping;  23rd,  severe  weather  and  no  comfortable 


100  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

place  for  meeting;  30th,  at  Baltimore.  And  now  old  '38  is 
gone  and  '39  comes  knocking  at  the  door.  But  what  and  where 
am  I?  In  the  land  of  my  birth,  sustaining  my  usual  relations? 
No;  far  distant  from  the  home  I  love,  and  among  strangers. 
Since  1838  commenced  I  have  assumed  new  and  weighty  respon- 
sibilities. Have  taken  upon  me  the  duties  and  obligations  of 
the  gospel  ministry  and  entered  the  marriage  relation.  May  I 
prove  faithful  and  not  trust  too  much  to  my  own  strength. 

January  3,  1839. — Went  out  four  miles  and  met  a  man 
who  thinks  death  an  eternal  sleep.  Gave  him  the  tract,  "Short 
Method  with  a  Skeptic." 

Sunday,  January  6. — Damp  and  misty.  Went  to  the  school- 
house  and  kindled  a  fire,  but  it  smoked  so  that  it  was  impossible 
to  have  a  meeting  there.  So  I  sent  out  an  invitation  asking 
the  people  to  my  house.  About  thirty  came.  Prayer  meeting 
in  the  evening  and  monthly  concert  on  Monday  evening. 

January  20. — Preached  in  my  own  house  at  eleven  and 
three  o'clock  on  the  subject  of  prayer.  In  the  evening  went 
to  hear  a  Methodist  brother,  who  was  not  present,  and  was 
requested  to  preach  in  his  place. 

February  3. — Spent  the  Sabbath  at  Bound  Prairie.  At- 
tended a  Methodist  quarterly  meeting  at  the  Congregational 
meeting  house,  and  enjo^yed  it  much. 

February  14. — This  day  received  a  letter  from  home, 
mailed  December  1 . 

February  21. — Went  to  Burlington  to  attend  a  meeting 
of  the  Bible  Society  recently  formed. 

Mt.  Pleasant,  March  1. — This  ends  the  first  quarter  of 
my  missionai-y  labors  in  Iowa.  Being  a  stranger  it  was 
necessary  to  move  cautiously  at  first.  The  weather  has  often 
been  most  unfavorable  on  the  Sabbath,  and  we  have  had  no 
suitable  place  for  public  worship.  Add  to  this  the  labor  of 
gathering  materials  for  housekeeping  in  a  newly  settled 
country,  and  it  is  not  surprising  if  we  fail  to  see  such  results 
as  we  expected  and  hoped  for.  Moreover  prejudices  are  easily 
excited  and  hard  to  be  allayed.  I  am  called  "an  educated 
man"  and  "a  Presbyterian."     Then  the  term  Yankee  is  some- 


EARLY    WORK    IN    IOWA.  101 

times  as  repulsive  to  a  "Western  man  as  like  poles  of  a  magnet. 
"We  came  here  with  open  hearts  and  Christian  liberality,  but 
found  professing  Christians  of  different  persuasions,  some  of 
them  opposed  to  all  benevolent  and  progressive  movements, 
such  as  temperance,  education,  missions,  Sabbath  schools,  etc. 
Among  them  we  have  endeavored  to  labor  faithfully  and 
affectionately,  and  it  grieves  our  hearts  to  find  any  becoming 
jealous  or  suspicious,  thus  drawing  a  line  of  division  between 
members  of  the  same  great  family. 

Sunday,  March  3. — At  Mt.  Pleasant.  Preached  from 
"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,"  etc. 

RULES  FOR  THE  EMPLOYMENT  OF    TIME. 

Monday,  miscellaneous  business.  Other  days  of  the  week 
from  nine  to  eleven  a.  m.,  study.  Tuesdays  and  Fridays,  after- 
noon calls.  Wednesdays,  Thursdays  and  Saturdays,  from  two 
to  four  p.  m.,  study.     Evenings,  miscellaneous  reading. 

Mt.  Pleasant,  April  28. — Sabbath.  My  twenty-seventh 
birthday.  Another  year  I  have  experienced  the  goodness  of 
God  in  continued  health  and  in  temporal  and  spiritual  prosper- 
ity .  How  shall  I  live  this  new  year  of  my  life  ?  Preached  at 
the  school-house  on  Sabbath  schools.  After  meeting  requested 
those  interested  to  remain  and  a  Sabbath-school  was  organized. 

At  Baltimore,  May  19,  I  organized  a  Sabbath  school  and 
conferred  with  the  people  in  regard  to  forming  a  church. 
May  30,  I  was  again  at  Mt.  Pleasant,  and  attended  the  funeral 
of  Martin  Tucker's  child,  a  little  daughter  of  eighteen  months. 
Found  Mrs.  Huntington  very  sick  at  Danville  on  June  2d. 
The  following  Sabbath  had  good  congregations  and  good  attend- 
ance at  Sabbath  school  at  Mt.  Pleasant.  At  2  p.  m.  held  a  Bible 
class  and  lectured  from  Matthew  5:19-26.  The  next  Sabbath  I 
preached  at  Baltimore,  Smith's  Mill,  and  Mr.  Archibald's. 

Sabbath,  June  30,  at  Danville.  Spent  the  forenoon  of  Sat- 
urday visiting  among  the  people  in  that  settlement,  and  in  the 
afternoon  preached  from  the  words,  "Come  out  from  among 
them,"  etc.  Several  then  presented  their  letters  and  were 
organized  into  a  church.  On  Sabbath  Brother  Turner  came 
over  to  assist  and  at  noon  the  organization  was  completed  and 


102  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

we  sat  down  for  the  first  time  in  our  infant  Territory  at  the 
table  of  our  Blessed  Lord. 

July  4,  officiated  as  chaplain  at  a  public  celebration  of  Inde- 
pendence. On  Monday,  the  8th,  received  a  letter  from  my 
class-mate,  II .  G.  French.  He  was  to  sail  for  Siam  July  1. 
The  next  day,  July  9,  we  held  a  meeting  at  Dr.  Stephenson's  on 
the  subject  of  temperance,  and  on  the  11th  I  attended  the  fun- 
eral of  Mr.  John  Low.  a  man  sixty-five  years  of  age.  On  the 
13th  was  called  to  attend  the  funeral  of  Mr.  Randolph's  child. 
The  parents  seem  much  afflicted. 

From  Mr.  Gaylord  in  the  Home  Missionary : 

During  the  quarter  I  have  attended  to  my  ministerial  duties 
without  interruption  and  m}*  congregations  are  increasing  and 
becoming  more  permanent.  The  tide  of  immigration  during 
the  spring  was  immense.  The  country  is  getting  full  back  to 
the  Indian  line,  and  more  are  coming  every  day. 

At  Danville.  August  11,  after  preaching,  a  church  meet- 
ing was  held,  and  Bro.  Orange  Messenger  chosen  deacon.  The 
church  also  gave  me  an  invitation  to  preach  for  them  one-half  the 
time  for  the  ensuing  year,  which  I  feel  inclined  to  accept.  Wed- 
nesday and  Thursday  visited  at  Baltimore  and  Smith's  Mill,  and 
conversed  and  prayed  with  the  sick.  Spent  Sunday,  August  18, 
at  New  London.  Returned  at  evening  to  Mt.  Pleasant,  bring- 
ing Miss  Terrell  of  Danville,  and  attended  the  funeral  of  Mrs. 
Hewson,who  died  of  typhus  fever  after  an  illness  of  two  weeks. 
At  Danville,  Sabbath  afternoon,  August  25,  I  set  apart  to  the 
office  of  deacon  Bro.  O.  Messenger  and  Bro.  Samuel  Jaggar. 
Mrs.  II.  Huntington  united  with  the  church  by  letter.  At  Mt. 
Pleasant,  attended  the  funeral  of  a  child  of  Mr.  Abernethy 
September  13,  and  on  the  26th  that  of  Mrs.  McCoy,  who  died 
while  her  husband  was  absent  in  Ohio.  He  returned  the  day 
after  the  burial  almost  overwhelmed  with  grief,  and  could  not 
rest  satisfied  until  permitted  to  look  upon  the  dear  remains. 
They  were  accordingly  taken  from  the  grave  and  carried  to 
the  house.  On  Saturda}^  I  preached  her  funeral  sermon  from 
II.   Timothy  4:7,  8 — words  selected  by  the  bereaved  husband. 


EARLY    WORK    IN    IOWA.  103 

Went  down  .and  prayed  with  Bro.  Moffat  Snyder  at  his  request. 
His  trust  is  in  the  Lord.  How  important  is  the  religion  of  the 
gospel  in  a  dying  hour!  Mr.  McCoy  has  truly  been  deeply 
afflicted.  His  infant  child  was  buried  October  5.  October  22, 
removed  my  family  to  Danville.  Returned  to  Mt.  Pleasant  and 
on  the  27th  preached  from  "Seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God." 

December  1,  1839.  One  year  ago  to-day,  I  arrived  in  Mt. 
Pleasant  and  began  my  labors  as  home  missionary. 

From  the  Home  Missionary: 

Through  the  goodness  of  an  ever  kind  Providence  I  am 
permitted  to  make  my  last  quarterly  report.  I  have  now 
labored  a  year  under  the  commission  which  I  received  from 
you.  Up  to  December  was  able  to  fill  all  my  appointments 
except  in  one  instance.  Then  the  snowing,  blowing  and  freez- 
ing made  it  prudent  to  keep  within  doors.  AVinter  is  now  upon 
us,  and  our  congregations  are  somewhat  diminished.  This 
arises  from  the  scattered  state  of  our  population  and  the  worst 
of  facilities  for  traveling.  Yet  the  prospects  for  the  future 
are  bright  and  encouraging.  Have  received  a  letter  from 
Jefferson  county,  forty  miles  west,  urging  me  to  come  up  and 
preach  a  few  times,  and  see  if  a  church  cannot  be  formed. 
1  expect  to  go  next  week. 

Mr.  Gaylord  frequently  rode  long  distances  to  preach 
and  to  look  after  scattered  sheep.  More  than  once  in 
winter  the  severity  of  the  weather  was  such  that  he  was 
compelled  to  run  much  of  the  way  by  the  side  of  his  horse 
to  keep  from  freezing. 

From  the  journal,  1839: 

During  the  week  following  December  15,  went  by  invi- 
tation to  Fairfield,  the  county  seat  of  Jefferson  county. 
Weather  was  extremely  cold.  Arrived  on  Friday,  December 
20,  and  shortly  after  it  commenced  snowing.  The  snow  fell 
over  a  foot  in  depth,  and  interrupted  our  meeting  somewhat. 
The  only  shelter  for  my  horse  was  to  stand  in  the  snow  by  the 


104  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

side  of  a  building  with  a  blanket  over  him.  On  Saturday 
evening  I  held  a  prayer  meeting  and  took  the  first  steps  toward 
forming  a  church.  Preached  Sabbath  morning,  the  22nd,  and 
immediately  after  service  organized  a  Congregational  church 
of  twelve  members,  then  administered  the  Lord's  Supper. 
It  was  a  season  of  deep  interest.  The  settlement  is  very  new, 
but  many  people  are  coming  into  the  county.  On  my  way 
up  I  preached  at  the  house  of  31  r.  Smead,  on  the  evening 
of  the  17th,  and  at  Mt.  Pleasant  on  the  evening  of  the  18th. 
On  my  return  preached  at  Mt.  Pleasant  again.  Sabbath,  Decem- 
ber 29,  exchanged  with  Brother  Turner,  of  Denmark. 

1840.  Spent  Sabbath,  January  5,  at  New  London.  It  being 
the  first  Sabbath  of  the  new  year  endeavored  to  improve  the 
occasion.  Saturday,  January  18,  went  out  to  the  other  side  of 
Flint  Creek.  Spent  the  Sabbath  and  preached  morning  and 
evening. 

Some  years  subsequent  to  this,  Mr.  Gaylord  was  in  the 
habit  of  visiting  the  same  neighborhood  on  Sabbath  even- 
ing. After  preaching  in  Danville  morning  and  afternoon 
he  would  ride  the  ten  miles,  and  sometimes  find  a  crowd  of 
eager  listeners  in  waiting  at  the  school-house.  Often  the 
only  standing  room  for  him  would  be  against  the  wall,  and 
drippings  from  tallow  candles  upon  his  coat  bore  witness 
that  the  people  "pressed  to  hear  the  word  of  God."  He  fre. 
quently  returned  the  same  night,  but  these  evening  rides 
induced  rheumatism,  and  finally  compelled  him  to 
relinquish  the  appointments. 

March,  1840. — The  weather  this  month  has  been  delight- 
fully warm  and  pleasant.  The  ground  is  settled  and  becoming 
quite  dry.  Have  received  a  renewal  of  my  commission  and 
also  a  letter  from  home.  March  27,  we  moved  into  our  new 
cabin  and  were  thoroughly  drenched  with  rain  at  night. 

April  11,  left  home  for  Payson  to  attend  the  General 
Association  of  Illinois.  Spent  the  Sabbath  at  Denmark  and 
preached   for  Brother  Turner,  and  Monday  went  on  my  way. 


ORGANIZATION    OF    FARMINGTON    CHURCH.  105 

A  pleasant  meeting-.  Reached  home  on  Wednesday  of  the  fol- 
lowing week,  and  found  Brother  Daniel  Burton  sick.  Ma}r  3, 
Minor  J.  Terrell  died  after  a  lingering  illness  of  several  weeks. 
On  Monday  afternoon  preached  his  funeral  sermon  from  "Be 
ye  also  ready."  Friday,  May  8,  left  home  to  fill  an  appointment 
at  Fairfield,  and  traveled  most  of  the  way  in  a  cold  rain  storm. 
Arrived  Saturday  afternoon  somewhat  fatigued.  Preached  twice 
on  the  Sabbath  to  good  and  attentive  congregations .  May  3 1 , 
organized  Sabbath  school  at  Danville. 

Having  been  requested  by  Bro.  Turner  to  visit  Farmington, 
I  left  home  on  Friday,  July  31  [1840].  Stayed  at  Mr.  Millard's 
over  night,  and  went  on  next  day  to  Farmington.  Sabbath 
morning  was  ushered  in  by  a  terrific  storm  of  thunder,  lightning 
and  rain,  but  a  very  respectable  congregation  assembled,  which 
seemed  to  listen  with  great  eagerness  to  the  word  of  truth. 
Preached  twice,  completed  the  organization  of  the  church,  pre- 
viously gathered  by  Bro.  Turner,  baptized  two  children,  and 
administered  the  Lord's  Supper  to  the  infant  church  for  the 
first  time. 

This  place  was  situated  in  a  delightful  section  of  country 
on  the  Des  Moines  river,  and  in  a  few  years  was  surrounded 
by  a  dense  population.  To  the  east  bank  of  this  beautiful 
stream  came  Abner  Kneeland  with  a  company  of  his  follow- 
ers, bringing  with  them  the  rankest  atheism  and  infidelity, 
with  Paine's  "  Age  of  Reason  "  and  an  Atheistical  Catechism 
for  their  Bible,  and  pamphlets  and  newspapers  of  a  similar 
character.  Kneeland  had  been  imprisoned  for  blasphemy 
in  Boston,  and  after  his  liberation  wisely  chose  to  put  a 
long  distance  between  himself  and  the  scene  of  his  disgrace. 
They  settled  down  about  one  mile  from  Farmington,  and 
named  the  place  Salubria.  Kneeland  boldly  declared  that 
there  should  be  no  Sabbath  law  in  Iowa,  and  he  and  his 
followers  determined  to  have  nothing  of  a  Christian  char- 
acter about  them  so  far  as  they  could  prevent  it,  In 
November,  1843,  Rev.  Harvey  Adams,  one  of  the  Andover 
Band,  took  up  his  residence  in  Farmington.     A  better  man 


106  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

could  scarcely  have  been  found  to  occupy  this  important 
field.  "A  devout  man  and  one  that  feared  God,"  wise  and 
talented,  understanding  and  loving  those  grand  doctrines 
of  the  Bible, which  are  the  foundation  of  all  true  Christianity, 
he  had  the  faculty  of  teaching  them  to  others  in  a  way  to 
be  understood.  Many  believed  and  his  efforts  were  blessed 
to  the  conversion  of  not  a  few  of  Kneeland's  deluded 
followers. 

Mr.  Adams  says :  "A  year  or  two  before  I  came  to  Iowa, 
they  made  the  square  issue,  whether  they  should  have 
officers  who  believed  the  Bible  or  not.  They  were  so 
badly  defeated  as  forever  to  blast  their  hopes  politically  in 
Iowa.  But  a  marked  providence,  which  occurred  in  April, 
1845,  was  most  effectual  in  exterminating  infidel  princi- 
ples. The  Des  Moines  river  had  been  free  of  ice  for  some 
weeks,  when  there  came  a  sudden  snap  and  froze  the  river 
over  again.  The  ice  was  thin  but  very  tough.  A  young 
man  and  two  young  ladies  from  the  Kneeland  neighbor- 
hood, crossed  over  the  river  the  morning  after  the  freeze 
to  a  sugar  camp  on  the  west  side.  The  day  was  very 
pleasant,  and  they  probably  enjoyed  their  adventure  so 
well  as  to  be  thoughtless  of  danger.  But  the  sun  had  so 
softened  the  ice,  that  they  had  not  reached  the  middle 
of  the  stream  in  returning,  before  they  broke  through  and 
were  all  drowned.  The  shock  of  this  disaster  was,  of 
course,  general,  but  was  especially  so  to  the  atheists. 
They  had  usually  buried  their  dead  as  they  would  a 
beast — talking  and  laughing  on  the  way  to  the  grave. 
Yet  so  they  did  not  now  feel  or  do.  Soon  as  the  bodies  of 
those  drowned  were  recovered,  I  received  a  request  to 
attend  the  funeral,  and  that  the  services  should  be  held 
in  the  Congregational  church.  The  request  was  of  course 
complied  with.  The  three  coffins  were  placed  in  a  row 
in  front  of  the  pulpit.  All  the  sitting  and  standing  room 
in  the  house  was  occupied,  and  wagons  were  placed  under 
the  windows  outside,  and  these  were  filled.     And  to  this 


DEATH    OP    MRS.    GAYLORD.  107 

day  I  presume  those  families  to  which  the  young  people 
belonged  have  not  been  taunted  or  ridiculed  because 
they  chose  to  bury  their  dead  in  a  Christian,  rather  than 
in  an  atheistic  manner.  As  Providence  would  have  it, 
this  event  was  one  of  the  occurrences  that  served  to  make 
atheism  in  that  region  a  thing  of  the  past.  Without  any 
mistake,  that  occurrence  had  a  powerful  effect  for  good 
upon  that  class  of  people,  for  it  helped  to  break  up  the 
organization  and  to  banish  infidelity  from  that  region." 

From  a  letter  by  Mr.  Gaylord  : 

The  month  of  August,  1840,  commenced  with  heavy  storms 
which  continued  nearly  every  day  for  a  fortnight,  and  an 
unparalleled  quantity  of  water  fell  upon  the  earth.  Left  home 
for  Tuscarora  to  assist  in  a  protracted  meeting,  but  was  over- 
taken by  the  most  violent  storm  of  wind,  rain,  thunder  and 
lightning  that  I  ever  experienced.  This  was  followed  during 
the  night  by  two  or  three  others  of  the  same  description,  so  that 
it  seemed  as  if  "the  windows  of  heaven  were  opened."  The 
streams  were  raised  to  such  an  unusual  degree  that  I  could  not 
proceed.  I  therefore  attempted  to  go  home  again,  but  found 
to  my  surprise  that  Skunk  river  was  full  to  overflowing, 
leaving  some  of  the  houses  on  its  banks  with  little  more  than 
the  roofs  out  of  the  water.  This  was  at  Augusta.  The  water 
continued  to  rise  till  it  reached  a  point  eight  feet  higher  than  it 
had  ever  been  known  since  the  settlement  of  the  country.  In 
consequence  of  these  rains ,  followed  by  the  hot  weather ,  sickness 
to  an  unusual  degree  has  visited  us  of  late,  proving  fatal  in 
many  instances.  Nor  has  my  own  family  escaped  the  visitation 
of  God.  On  the v 13th  of  September  1113'  wife  was  taken  ill 
with  bilious  fever  and  continued  to  decline  till  the  23d,  when 
she  sweetly  fell  asleep  in  Jesus,  and  left  us  to  mourn,  not  her 
loss  but  ours.     Her  death  was  eminently  peaceful  and  happy. 

Of  this  estimable  lady  the  following  account,  to  which 
a  few  facts  have  been  added,  is  given  in  an  obituary  notice 
which  appeared  at  this  time  in  the  Congregational  Observer: 


108  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

Died,  in  Danville,  Iowa,  Tuesday,  September  23, 1840,  Mrs. 
Sarah  B.  Gay  lord,  aged  twenty-three  years.  Mrs.  Gay  lord  was 
the  eldest  daughter  of  Nathan  Burton,  Esq.,  who  removed  from  , 
Connecticut  to  Illinois  in  the  spring  of  1835.  She  united  with 
the  church  of  Christ,  in  Bethlehem,  her  native  place,  when 
about  fifteen  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Burton,  the  mother,  was  a 
good  and  judicious  Christian  woman,  and  deeply  interested  in 
the  salvation  of  her  household.  It  was  with  a  heavy  heart  that 
she  left  the  church  of  which  she  and  her  daughter  were  mem- 
bers, and  went  away  with  her  family,  as  she  supposed,  from  all 
the  privileges  of  the  gospel.  But  God  was  better  to  her  than  her 
fears.  The  following  summer  she  had  the  unspeakable  satisfac- 
tion of  seeing  her  husband  and  all  her  children  subscribe  with 
their  own  hands  to  be  the  Lord's.  From  this  time  it  seemed  to 
be  their  united  desire  to  live  to  do  good.  The  second  son  com- 
menced studying  for  the  ministry,  and  Sarah  married  Rev.  Mr. 
Gaylord,  October  13,  1838.  She  accompanied  him  to  Iowa, 
where  for  nearly  two  years  they  labored  together  in  the  gospel, 
and  looked  forward  for  inan}'  years  to  come,  in  which  they 
could  be  helpmeets  for  each  other  in  the  work  of  the  Lord. 
But  sickness  came  and  cut  her  off  in  the  beginning  of  her  use- 
fulness; 3'et  we  mourn  not  for  her  as  for  those  who  have  no 
hope.  Retiring  but  attractive  in  her  manners,  sincere  and 
unwavering  in  her  attachments,  conscientious  in  the  discharge  of 
every  duty,  she  won  the  affections  of  all  who  knew  her  and  was 
most  beloved  by  those  who  knew  her  best.  But  "God's  ways 
are  not  as  our  ways . ' '  Her  work  was  done ,  and  she  was  ready 
to  depart.  The  Savior  fulfilled  his  promises  and  "manifested 
Himself  to  her  as  he  does  not  unto  the  world."  On  the  day 
of  her  death  she  said,  "Twenty-three  years  ago  my  father  was 
presented  with  his  first  born  daughter,  and  on  this  anniversary 
of  my  birth-day  I  am  about  to  leave  earth  for  heaven .  I  am 
going  to  join  my  mother  and  brother  who  have  gone  before  to 
my  Heavenly  Father's  house."  It  seemed,  she  said,  as  though 
the  Savior  held  her  in  His  arms;  all  darkness  and  doubt  and 
fear  were  gone.  When  her  friends  would  keep  her  longer,  she 
begged  them  to  desist  the  use  of  means,  for  such  were  her  views 


ORGANIZATION    OF    IOWA   ASSOCIATION.  109 

of  heaven,  such  her  love  to  Christ,  and  her  desire  to  go  and 
be  with  Him,  she  feared  she  would  murmur,  if  detained  longer 
on  earth.  Committing  her  husband,  child,  her  friends  and  the 
church  to  God,  she  fell  asleep  in  Jesus. 

We  copy  again  from  his  journal : 

Monday,  September  18,  1840. — Left  home  to  go  to  Jack- 
sonville to  attend  a  meeting  of  the  Illinois  Association.  Took 
my  little  motherless  girl  and  left  her  at  her  grandfather's. 
Reached  Jacksonville  on  Friday  and  left  for  home  on  the 
following  Monday,  but  had  a  most  unpleasant  ride  through 
rain  and  mud.  Attempted  to  foi'd  a  creek  which  had  become 
so  swollen  by  the  rains  that  the  buggy  began  to  float  and  the 
horse  to  swim.  But  soon  the  horse  touched  bottom  again, 
and  we  safely  reached  the  opposite  bank — how  I  hardly  know, 
only  because  a  kind  Providence  helped  us.  Was  thoroughby 
soaked,  but  proceeded  on  my  way,  and  finally  arrived  within 
four  miles  of  our  place  of  meeting  in  Danville  on  Saturday 
evening.  This  journey  was  undertaken  to  obtain  letters  of 
dismission  for  Brother  Turner  and  myself  from  the  Illinois 
Association,  as  we  were  members  of  that  body  and  the  time 
seemed  to  have  come  to  take  steps  to  organize  an  Association 
for  Iowa,  of  which  we  were  to  form  a  part. 

In  November  of  this  year  Mr.  Turner  and  Mr.  Gaylord 
gave  a  most  cordial  welcome  to  Rev.  Julius  A.  Reed,  who 
had  chosen  Iowa  as  his  field  of  labor  and  had  decided 
to  locate  at  Fairfield.  On  the  sixth  day  of  November, 
two  years  after  Mr.  Gaylord  first  •  entered  the  Territory, 
he  had  the  pleasure  of  helping  to  organize  the  Congrega- 
tional Association  of  Iowa.  They  met  for  this  purpose 
at  Denmark,  and  the  Association  was  composed  of  the  three 
churches  of  Denmark,  Danville  and  Fairfield,  with  three 
ministers,  Asa  Turner,  Reuben  Gaylord,  Julius  Reed,  and 
Charles  Burnham,  a  Licentiate.  Revs.  Win.  Carter,  Wm. 
Kirby  and    Mr.    Morris,   from    Illinois,   were   present   and 


110  LIFE   OF   REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

assisted  in  the  services  of  the  occasion.  The  first  Congre- 
gational church  in  Iowa  was  formed  at  Denmark,  May 
5,  1838,  by  Rev.  Asa  Turner,  then  of  Quincy,  Rev.  Julius 
Reed,  from  Waverly,  Illinois,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Apthorp,  who 
was  living  in  the  Territory  but  left  soon  afterward.  The 
second  church  was  at  Danville,  the  third  at  Fairfield,  and 
the  fourth  at  Farmington.  The  last  named  was  not  repre- 
sented in  the  organization  of  the  Association.  Other  fields 
had  begun  to  open,  but  were  only  partially  cultivated 
for  want  of  workers.  The  Association  resolved  that  for 
the  present  it  would  meet  in  the  spring  and  fall  of  each 
year.  They  continued  to  do  this  until  the  autumn  of  1843, 
when  two  minor  associations  were  formed,  which  met  semi- 
annually, and  the  General  Association  began  its  yearly 
gatherings,  which  still  continue. 

May,  1841. — Have  made  no  entries  in  my  journal  for  a  long- 
period.  Spent  most  of  the  winter  with  my  friends  in  Connecti- 
cut, and  returned  in  health  and  in  the  rich  experience  of  the 
goodness  of  God.  Since  my  return  have  passed  my  twenty -ninth 
birthday . 

The  visit  here  alluded  to  was  needed  by  Mr.  Gay  lord 
partly  for  rest,  but  more  on  account  of  the  great  bereave- 
ment he  had  experienced  in  the  loss  of  his  estimable  wife. 
A  few  months  spent  in  the  home  of  his  youth,  with  his 
beloved  parents,  and  other  relatives  and  friends  in  Norfolk, 
were  to  him  a  source  of  unspeakable  comfort  and  help,  so 
that  in  March  he  was  ready  to  return  again  to  the  home  of 
his  adoption,  refreshed  and  strengthened  for  his  arduous 
and  responsible  work.  Some  incidents  of  this  journey,  and 
suggestions  to  travelers,  from  Mr.  Gajdord's  pen,  published 
in  the  Congregational  Observer,  will  be  of  interest: 

Left  home  November  16,  for  a  visit  to  the  scenes  and  friends 
of  former  years.  We  found  ourselves  particularly  favored  for 
a  western  steamboat,  in  regard  to  both  passengers  and  crew. 


INCIDENTS   OF    A    JOURNEY.  Ill 

We  heard  but  little  profanity,  and  in  the  cabin  there  seemed  an 
unusual  desire  for  reading.  The  newspapers  were  soon  devoured, 
the  discussion  of  the  great  political  question  which  had  agitated 
the  public  possessed  no  interest — for  Harrison  was  elected — and 
the  boat  was  furnished  with  no  books  except  a  few  novels  of  the 
poorer  sort.  The  Bible,  the  traveling  companion  of  some  of 
the  passengers,  was  often  read.  It  was  soon  found  that  there 
were  several  clergymen  in  the  company,  and  after  leaving  St. 
Louis,  a  proposition  was  made  b}'  a  gray-haired  gentleman  from 
Vermont,  that  the  company  listen  to  a  religious  discourse.  The 
suggestion  was  cordially  received,  and  the  first  sermon  given  by 
a  brother  from  Ohio.  Another  who  had  recently  returned  from 
a  mission  to  Brazil,  gave  some  statements  with  reference  to 
South  America,  very  much  to  the  edification  of  the  company. 
These  were  followed  by  other  religious  exercises  and  occasional 
preaching,  which  gave  great  interest  to  our  trip.  Now  let  me 
make  a  few  suggestions  to  Christians  who  are  about  to  travel. 
And  first, 

Take  your  Bible  with  you.  Many  professors  of  religion 
neglect  this,  perhaps  expecting  to  find  one  wherever  they  go. 
This  is  a  mistake.  Do  not  put  your  Bible  in  the  bottom  of 
your  trunk,  but  take  a  small  one  that  you  can  carry  about  you, 
and  consult  it  daily.  The  very  sight  of  the  Bible  exerts  its 
influence  over  the  wicked  man. 

Take  time  for  meditation  and  prayer.  Let  not  the  world 
and  new  scenes  have  all  your  time.  If  you  can,  retire  for 
prayer;  if  you  cannot,  still  pray,  lifting  your  heart  to  God  where 
you  are.     Take  with  you  a  full  supply  of  good  religious  reading. 

Fear  not  to  let  yourself  be  known  as  a  Christian.  Do  it  wisely 
and  humbly,  and  if  3-011  are  consistent,  you  willnot  be  the  less 
respected.  Observe  the  Sabbath .  Christians  must  awake  to  this 
subject.  Our  boat  stopped  at  Cincinnati  for  the  Sabbath,  not 
however  out  of  regard  for  the  da}-,  yet  one  or  two  professors 
were  discontented  because  it  did  not  go  forward. 

In  short,  dear  fellow  Christians,  whether  at  home  or  abroad, 
do  all  you  can  for  God.  The  world  is  to  be  converted  through 
the  instrumentality  of  the  church.     When  shall  we  begin? 


112  LIFE   OP   REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

About  this  time  the  name  Danville  was  changed  to 
Hartford,  but  after  a  few  years  it  was  again  called  by  its 
former  name. 

Hartford,  May  9,  1841,  Brothers  Turner  and  Emerson 
preached  for  me  and  we  administered  the  sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper.  Was  quite  ill  and  for  several  days  confined  to 
my  bed.  '  Monday,  May  24,  left  home  on  a  two  weeks'  tour. 
Went  to  Mt.  Pleasant,  and  proceeded  from  there  to  Wapello. 
Beautiful  prairie  -all  the  way,  but  no  timber  and  only  two  houses, 
Wapello  is  a  small  place  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Iowa  river, 
and  is  the  county  seat  of  Louisa  county.  Wednesday  went  for- 
ward to  *  Bloomington.  A  slough  puts  out  from  the  Mississippi 
just  below  Bloomington,  and  runs  in  again  a  short  distance 
above  the  mouth  of  the  Iowa.  About  half  way  from  Wapello 
to  Bloomington  met  an  old  schoolmate  and  townsman  engaged 
in  a  distillery.  I  remonstrated  with  him,  but  was  very  cor- 
dially entertained  by  him  and  his  excellent  wife,  who  is  a 
professing  Christian.  Spent  the  night  with  Mr.  Giles  Pettibone, 
also  an  old  schoolmate.  Went  on  to  Bloomington  and  called  on 
J.  Pettibone  and  Mr.  Gillett,  also  on  Bro.  Stocker,  who  has 
fallen  into  the  Old  School  ranks.  He  seems  well  disposed. 
Friday  proceeded  to  Davenport,  reaching  there  at  six  o'clock 
in  the  evening.  Put  up  with  Bro.  Burnell  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  an  interesting  family  from  Northampton,  Massa- 
chusetts. Davenport  is  a  most  charming  place.  The  bank  of 
the  Mississippi  for  miles  above  and  below  the  town  is  a  regular 
grade,  so  that  a  carriage  can  be  driven  near  the  water's  edge 
for  a  long  distance.  The  ground  on  which  the  town  is  built, 
rises  in  a  gradual  slope  from  the  river  half  a  mile  back  to  the 
bluffs,  which  are  not  very  abrupt,  but  give  a  series  of  delightful 
views.  The  river  is  from  three-fourths  to  seven-eighths  of  a 
mile  wide,  and  opposite  is  the  town  of  Rock  Island.  A  thick 
coat  of  blue  grass  covers  the  ground  on  both  sides  of  the  stream. 
One-half  mile  above,  commences  Rock  Island,  rising  in  the 
middle  of  the  river  to  the  height  of  thirty  or  forty  feet,  and  is 


*  Afterwards  called   Muscatine. 


TOURING    IN    IOWA.  113 

a  perpendicular  rock.  On  this  point  is  Fort  Armstrong,  now 
in  ruins.  Preached  three  times  on  the  Sabbath  to  attentive  and 
intelligent  congregations.  Tuesday,  crossed  the  river  and 
attended  a  meeting  of  the  Knox  Presbytery,  and  on  Thursday 
set  out  for  Marion  in  Linn  county,  in  company  with  Rev.  T.  P. 
Emerson,  who  is  preaching  there.  We  traveled  sixty-six  miles 
and  reached  Marion  at  seven  p.  m.  on  Friday.  Preached  on 
Saturday  afternoon  and  twice  on  the  Sabbath.  About  eighty 
persons  present.  Monday,  left  for  home  by  way  of  Iowa  City, 
and  crossed  the  Cedar  river  near  the  rapids.  The  river  has 
rock  bottom  and  would  afford  excellent  water  power  if  improved. 
Held  meeting  where  I  stopped  for  the  night  and  reached  home 
on  Wednesday  at  five  p.  m.,  having  been  absent  more  than  two 
weeks  and  traveled  three  hundred  miles.  The  weather  was 
intensely  hot,  but  I  returned  in  good  health. 

Last  Saturday  I  went  to  Mt.  Pleasant,  and  Sabbath 
preached  to  a  large  and  attentive  audience.  In  the  afternoon 
gave  way  to  Dr.  Evans,  the  Baptist  brother.  Visited  among 
the  people  on  Monday,  and  received  a  letter  from  Brother 
Reed,  stating  the  great  need  of  .more  laborers.  Sunday,  June 
20,  at  Danville,  discoursed  on  the  Atonement,  from  I  John 
2:2.  Spent  much  time  in  preparation.  Spoke  in  the  after- 
noon from  the  words,  "And  as  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent," 
etc.  Prayer  meeting  at  five  o'clock  at  Deacon  Jaggar's. 
Congregation  so  large  and  attentive  that  I  cannot  but  hope 
there  is  more  interest  than  usual. 

Friday,  June  25. — Went  to  Mt.  Pleasant  and  took  the 
preparatory  steps  towards  forming  a  church.  Preached  twice 
on  the  Sabbath  with  considerable  freedom .  At  the  close  of  the 
afternoon  service  organized  a  Congregational  church  of  seven 
members,  and  baptized  the  child  of  Dr.  Edgar. 

At  Danville  (or  Hartford),  on  Sabbath,  July  4,  1841,  seven 
individuals  were  received  into  the  church,  three  by  pro- 
fession. Two  of  these  are  heads  of  families,  and  family  altars 
have  been  erected  by  them.  After  the  monthly  concert 
on  Monday,  left  for  Illinois  on  a  visit.  Little  Sarah  knew 
me.     Monday,  July  26,  received  a  letter  from  Sister  Laura  at 

9 


114  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

Norfolk,  announcing  the  death  of  brother  A.'s  wife,  and  also 
of  Aunt  Martha.  On  Friday,  July  30,  I  left  home  for 
Brighton,  Washington  count}-,  and  arrived  at  evening.  Met 
Bro.  Reed,  of  Fairfield.  Saturday  we  gathered  a  few 
friends  of  the  Redeemer,  and  took  the  preparatory  steps  for 
the  organization  of  a  church.  Sunday,  August  1,  in  the 
morning  I  spoke  from  II  Corinthians  6:17,  18.  In  the  after- 
noon a  church  of  ten  members  was  organized  with  appropriate 
exercises,  and  in  the  evening  Bro.  Reed  preached  from 
John  3:3.  The  day  was  interesting,  and  I  hope  the  blessing 
of  God  rested  down  upon  our  work.  August  12,  went  six 
miles  beyond  Mt.  Pleasant  to  attend  a  wedding. 

For  some  reason,  which  Mr.  Gaylord  has  not  left  on 
record,  there  existed  a  want  of  harmon}'  amongst  the 
members  of  the  Congregational  church  in  Davenport. 
Twice  a  request  was  sent  him  to  go  up  and  endeavor  to 
bring  about  a  reconciliation.  Of  his  second  visit  for  this 
purpose  he  thus  writes: 

Left  home  for  Davenport  Frida}*,  August  20,  1841.  Had 
a  warm  and  fatiguing  ride  of  two  days.  Reached  there 
Saturday  night  nearly  worn  out.  Preached  once  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  spent  Monday  in  endeavoring  to  reconcile  a 
difficult}1-  in  the  Congregational  church.  They  assembled  in 
the  evening,  and,  after  preaching,  talked  over  their  grievances 
till  nearly  midnight,  but  finally  concluded  and  promised  to 
bury  all  dissensions  and  from  henceforth  live  together  in  peace 
and  Christian  fellowship.  Tuesday  I  left  Davenport  on  my 
return ,  and  spent  the  night  in  Bloomington.  Took  some  cold 
which  brought  on  symptoms  of  fever.  Next  day  rode  twelve 
miles  to  Mr.  Cyrus  Hawley's.  Felt  quite  ill,  but  held  meeting 
at  their  house  and  discoursed  from  Luke  14:25-33.  Then 
baptized  their  infant  child  by  the  name  of  Theodosia  Irene. 
Thursday  proceeded  as  far  as  Wapello,  and  spent  the  night 
with  Mr.  Gilliland.  Next  morning  continued  on  my  way  very 
ill,  and  reached  home  towards  evening  weary  and  sick. 


"in  labors  abundant."  115 

Mr.  Gaylord  was  now  laid  aside  with  a  severe  attack  of 
bilious  fever,  which  brought  him  near  to  the  borders  of  the 
grave.  This  journey,  taken  on  horseback  during  the 
intense  heat  of  August,  proved  almost  too  much  for  physi- 
cal endurance.  But  it  is  believed  the  results  were  happy  for 
the  church  and  gratifying  to  himself.  He  subsequently 
received  a  unanimous  call  from  the  church  and  congrega- 
tion to  become  their  pastor,  which  he  declined,  but  somewhat 
regretted  afterward  that  he  did  not  accept. 

He  again  writes: 

Have  so  far  recovered  as  to  attend  our  protracted  meeting, 
appointed  before  I  went  to  Davenport.  The  preaching  was  by 
Brothers  Turner  and  Reed  —  the  meeting  deeply  interesting 
and  resulted  in  permanent  good. 

August,  1841. — "In  view  of  the  immediate  wants  of  the 
infant  settlements  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  A.  H.  M. 
S.  have  directed  the  Rev.  T.  P.  Emerson,  of  Linn  county,  to 
spend  the  ensuing  year  in  visiting  the  settlements  on  both  sides 
the  "Wapsipinicon,  and  Rev.  Reuben  Gaylord  to  spend  half  his 
time  in  a  similar  service  between  the  Skunk  and  Iowa  rivers." 

September,  1841. — We  have  our  weekly  prayer-meeting  on 
Thursday,  which  is  well  attended  and  very  interesting.  The 
monthly  concert  is  observed  and  our  Sabbath  school  is  efficiently 
conducted  and  well  attended .  There  is  a  growing  interest  with 
us,  yet  I  hardly  dare  call  it  a  revival.  The  truth  seems  to  be 
exerting  its  appropriate  influence  on  many  minds  and  our 
congregation  is  increasing  in  numbers. 

September  23d  went  to  Mt.  Pleasant,  to  attend  a  wedding; 
returned  next  day  and  began  to  have  chills  and  fever.  Chills 
of  two  hours  and  fever  of  equal  length  continued  every  other 
day  for  several  weeks. 

From  the  Home  Missionary ,  October,  1841 : 

The  Congregational  Association  of  Iowa,  voted  at  their 
meeting  in  May  last,  to  appeal  to  the  friends  of  home  missions 


116  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

for  aid,  and  appointed  Rev.  Asa  Turner  and  Rev.  Reuben 
Gaylord  to  draft  and  forward  such  an  appeal.  Mr.  Gay  lord 
says:  "We  have  delayed  the  pleasant,  painful  duty,  hoping  that 
ere  this  we  should  greet  some  fellow  laborers,  but  we  have 
waited  in  vain.  The  farmer,  the  mechanic,  the  lawyer  and  the 
physician  vie  with  each  other  for  the  occupancy  of  the  west; 
but  there  is  one  class  of  men,  ministers  of  Christ,  that  are  sel- 
dom seen  amongst  the  army  of  pioneers.     Alas,  that  it  is  so!" 

We  here  give  some  extracts  bearing  upon  this  subject 
from  a  communication  by  Mr.  Gaylord,  published  in  the 
Hartford  Congregational  Observer  during  his  visit  in  Con- 
necticut, under  date  of  March  4,  1841 : 

Iowa  Territory  is  nearly  two  and  one-half  times  as  large  as 
the  state  of  Connecticut,  and  has  already  one-sixth  as  many 
inhabitants.  The  population  is  increased  by  at  least  1,000 
every  month,  and  all  the  machinery  of  moral  and  religious 
influences  must  be  set  in  operation.  The  need  of  immediate 
action  is  becoming  daily  more  and  more  pressing.  All  things 
move  forward  with  giant  strides,  and  the  wave  of  population 
waits  not  for  moral  influences.  Where  two  years  ago  the  wolf 
and  the  deer  sported  unmolested,  now  can  be  seen  the  activity 
of  civilized  life.  The  self-denying  missionary  must  be  sent 
with  enlarged  views  and  liberal  aims.  His  influence  is  greatly 
needed  in  the  first  outset,  for  it  is  much  easier  to  give  a  right 
direction  to  forming  influences  than  to  change  the  current  after- 
wards. What,  let,  me  ask,  made  Connecticut  what  she  is  in 
religion  and  intellect  ?  The  groundwork  was  laid  by  men  of 
piety  and  intelligence.  Every  settlement  had  its  minister  and 
its  school  teacher;  and  these  with  their  influences  are  operating 
upon  us  at  the  present  day.  The  legitimate  influence  of  the 
minister  can  hardly  be  appreciated.  He  must  form  churches, 
encourage  Sabbath  schools,  foster  education,  guard  the  public 
morals,  and  watch  over  the  followers  of  Christ.  He  must  hold  up 
the  standard  of  the  cross,  close  the  door  against  error  in  theory 
and  practice,  lift  the  warning  voice  against  vice  and  picture  the 


A    CRY    FOR    HELP.  117 

evils  of  intemperance.  He  must  awaken  an  interest  in  the 
Christian  efforts  of  the  day  and  cultivate  extensively  the  spirit 
of  liberality  which  marks  the  present  age.  A  system  of  educa- 
tion is  to  be  projected  and  carried  into  execution.  To  do  this, 
needs  the  united  counsels  of  men  of  enlarged  and  cultivated 
minds.  And  where  are  these  more  likely  to  be  found  than 
amongst  the  educated  clergy  of  the  present  day  ?  I  regard  it  as 
the  most  important  object  to  be  obtained  at  present  for  the 
future  interest  of  the  territory,  to  secure  a  large  increase  of 
ministers  and  Christians  of  the  right  stamp.  We  want  such  as 
will  be  peace-makers,  ready  to  co-operate  with  one  another  in 
every  good  work. 

There  seems  to  be  a  dislike  to  the  west  amongst  good  men . 
They  do  not  bring  before  the  mind  the  great  motive  that 
should  actuate  every  Christian.  How  often,  in  speaking  with 
them  about  going  to  the  west,  do  I  hear  the  reply,  "I  am  well 
enough  off  here;  I  don't  see  why  I  should  go."  The  fact  that 
they  can  do  four  times  as  much  good  there  as  here  does  not 
operate  upon  their  Christian  benevolence.  The  church  must 
get  off  from  such  ground,  or  she  will  be  engulfed  in  a  spirit  of 
worldliness.  It  is  not  the  spirit  which  says,  "Lord,  what  will 
thou  have  me  to  do?"  The  country  holds  out  every  inducement 
for  young  men.  If  a  dozen  faithful  ministers,  accompanied  by 
a  few  hundreds  of  enterprising,  pious  young  men,  would  now 
enter  Iowa,  eternity  alone  could  disclose  the  blessings  that 
would  descend  to  future  generations.  How  shall  these  minis- 
ters be  sent?  This  brings  into  view  the  agenc}^  of  the  Home 
Missionary  Society.  The  object  of  this  society  is  to  encourage 
and  assist  feeble  churches,  and  occupy  destitute  places  at  home 
with  the  living  preacher.  To  this  society  we  look  as  our 
polar  star  of  hope.  Our  churches,  almost  without  exception, 
are  unable  alone  to  sustain  the  preaching  of  the  gospel.  They 
will  do  all  they  can,  and  with  a  little  help  at  present,  will  soon 
pay  back  all  that  they  receive.  It  should  be  recollected  that 
the  people  have  their  houses  to  build,  and  meeting  houses  also, 
and  their  farms  to  put  under  improvement.  Here  is  a  heavy 
tax.     Could  Christians  see  and  feel  the  desire  that  many  in 


118  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

the  new  settlements  have  for  the  privileges  of  the  gospel,  and 
the  efforts  they  are  read}-  to  make  to  obtain  them,  they  would 
feel  it  not  only  a  dut}-,  but  a  privilege  to  give  liberally  to 
assist  them.  The  question  is  soon  to  be  settled  whether  the 
institutions  of  education  and  religion  are  to  grow  up  with  the 
people  or  not.  Even*  influence  is  at  work;  all  descriptions 
of  error,  from  the  most  fascinating  to  the  most  absurd. 
Mone}*  is  sent  in  from  the  old  world  to  establish  the  Catholic 
religion.  Money  rightfully  applied  is  power  and  influence. 
"Would  that  more  good  men  who  have  the  means  were  inclined 
to  preach  the  gospel  by  proxy.  One  year's  labor  now  is 
worth  several  a  few  years  hence.  Before  the  seeds  of  evil 
germinate  let  truth  be  proclaimed,  and  the  results  will  be 
glorious  in  the  enlargement  of  Zion. 

Hartfokd,  Iowa,  November  4,  1841. — The  Congregational 
Association  of  Iowa  met  at  this  place  and  held  a  meeting  of 
great  interest.  At  our  communion  nine  were  added  to  the 
church  by  profession.  Three  brethren,  Charles  Burnham, 
Thomas  P.  Emerson  and  Oliver  Emerson  were  ordained  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry,  and  John  C.  Holbrook  was  licensed 
to  preach  the  gospel. 

On  the  8th  of  November  Mr.  Gaylord  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Mary  M.  Welles  of  Newington,  Connecticut. 
Home  life  was  again  begun  in  the  smallest  room  of  the  log 
cabin.  But  after  a  few  months  the  larger  room  was  vacated 
and  the  family  were  thankful  and  happy  in  the  possession 
of  two  rooms.  The  household  at  this  time  consisted  of  five 
members — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gaylord,  little  Sarah,  now  two 
years  old,  Harriet,  a  motherless  girl  of  twelve,  and  an 
English  boy  of  sixteen,  who  was  needing  a  home,  and  whose 
work  was  taking  care  of  the  cow,  preparing  wood  for  the 
stove,  and  such  other  duties  as  were  needful  in  Mr.  Gaylord's 
frequent  and  long  protracted  absences  from  home. 

This  was  one  of  the  double  cabins,  with  two  rooms  about 
ten  feet  apart,  and  an  open  space  between,  with  the  earth 
for  a  floor.     In  this  open  space  was  a  flight  of  stairs  leading 


LOG    CABIN    LIFE.  119 

to  the  loft  above.  One  roof  extended  over  the  whole,  and  a 
sod  chimney  graced  each  end  of  the  building.  The  logs 
were  not  "  hewed,"  but  laid  up  in  their  native  covering  of 
bark.  The  openings  between  the  logs  were  "  chinked  "  with 
blocks  of  wood,  and  these  spread  with  lime  mortar  to  keep 
out  the  cold.  The  floor  of  the  loft  was  loosely  laid  with 
cottonwrood  boards,  not  remarkably  straight,  and  not  in  too 
close  proximity  to  prevent  the  free  circulation  of  air.  It 
also  formed  the  ceiling  of  the  lower  rooms.  The  only  place 
in  the  loft  where  it  was  possible  to  stand  upright  was  under 
the  ridge,  which  was  sufficiently  open  to  permit  now  and 
then  a  bright  star  to  look  down  into  the  face  of  the  sleeper 
reposing  on  the  floor.  This  cabin  stood  alone  on  the  prairie, 
surrounded  by  a  fence  enclosing  a  deep  yard — no  neighbors 
very  near,  but  a  large  extent  of  prairie  on  the  north,  east 
and  south.  To  the  east  it  extended  to  a  distance  of  six  or 
eight  miles. 

A  prairie  fire  is  a  grand  and  fearfully  interesting  sight. 
The  tall  coarse  grass,  after  being  killed  by  frost,  becomes  an 
easy  prey  to  the  flames,  and  when  helped  by  the  wind, 
which  increases  as  the  fire  proceeds,  burns  with  frightful 
rapidity.  There  is  a  strange  commingling  of  the  beautiful 
and  the  terrible  as  it  rushes  on,  overleaping  every  barrier, 
crackling  and  roaring  so  as  to  fill  the  beholder  with  con- 
sternation. Such  a  fire  occurred  one  evening  when  it 
happened  that  Rev.  Mr.  Turner  had  come  to  spend  a  night 
in  the  cabin.  The  grass  had  been  removed  from  a  wide 
space  around  the  premises,  and  they  were  considered  safe. 
But,  fanned  by  a  strong  breeze,  with  a  roar  like  the  rumb- 
ling of  distant  thunder,  the  flames  swept  on,  leaping  to  the 
height  of  ten  or  twelve  feet.  Tufts  of  burning  grass  were 
blown  so  near  that  the  home  was  in  great  peril.  No  time 
was  to  be  lost,  and  each  member  of  the  family  able  to  help, 
armed  with  something  to  beat  out  the  flames,  worked  and 
watched  till  near  midnight;  and,  assisted  by  Bro.  Turner, 
they  succeeded  in  saving  the  dwelling. 


120  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

A  log  cabin,  if  one  of  the  right  kind,  is  a  very  hospit- 
able building  and  very  elastic.  No  record  was  kept  of  the 
large  numbers  who  from  time  to  time  found  shelter  in  this 
one,  but  it  is  remembered  that  one  night  there  were  thirteen 
including  the  family.  Yet  in  the  morning  each  one  of  the 
seven  or  eight  guests  insisted  that  they  had  enjoyed  a  long 
and  refreshing  sleep.  There  were  often  such  happy  meet- 
ings and  greetings  among  the  brethren  as  they  came 
together,  and  if  the  housekeeper  could  find  only  the  plain- 
est food  for  the  table  it  seemed  to  make  no  difference.  The 
deficiency  was  made  up  with  cheerful  talk,  and  mirth  and 
wit  flowed  the  more  freely.  A  visit  can  be  recalled  when 
there  was  only  a  little  corned  beef  and  bread,  but  no  pota- 
toes. Bread  and  molasses  formed  the  dessert.  During  the 
flour  famine,  Brother  Reed,  Mr.  Shedd,  of  Denmark,  Rev. 
E.  Adams  and  others  were  guests  at  different  times  when 
there  was  nothing  which  bore  the  most  distant  relation  to 
bread. 

This  log  cabin  life  was  often  a  weary  and  toilsome 
one,  both  to  the  worker  without  and  the  worker  within. 
When  "  the  rain  descended  and  the  floods  came,"  so  much 
often  descended  within  as  to  be  quite  inconvenient,  especially 
when  it  poured  down  upon  the  cook-stove  during  the  pre- 
paration of  the  family  meal.  Without,  rattlesnakes  in  the 
large  door-yard,  and  prairie  wolves  outside  the  gate,  were 
frequent  callers.  Then  sometimes  the  hungry  spirit  craved 
the  intellectual  food  it  could  not  obtain,  or  longed  for  a 
glimpse  of  loved  faces  far  away,  or  perhaps  a  letter  which 
had  been  three  weeks  on  the  way,  brought  the  sad  news 
that  a  dear  relative  had  sickened,  died,  and  was  buried, 
while  all  unconscious  of  this  they  had  been  remembered 
each  day  at  the  family  altar. 

But  it  is  well  that  happiness  in  this  life  does  not  depend 
entirely  on  our  surroundings,  and  this  experience  was  not 
without  its  pleasures  and  rewards.  For  were  they  not  where 
He  would  have  them,  in  whose  service  they  had  enlisted 


PIONEER    EXPERIENCES.  121 

for  life? — and  trying  to  do  the  Master's  work  who  had  said, 
"  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway ! "  The  realization  of  this  promise 
was  one  of  the  delightful  compensations.  Then  there  was 
God's  own  hook  of  nature,  the  lonely  and  beautiful  prairie, 
with  its  ever  varying  richness  of  bloom,  filling  the  heart 
with  that  sacred  joy  which  comes  from  looking  upon  His 
works,  untouched  by  the  hand  of  man.  And  often  the 
clear  atmosphere,  peculiar  to  the  western  world,  seemed  to 
bring  the  spangled  firmament  so  near  to  earth,  and  with  it 
the  glorious  Creator  so  near  His  children,  that  the  beholder 
understood  as  never  before  the  force  and  beauty  of  the 
words,  "The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God  and  the 
firmament  showeth  His  handiwork.  Day  unto  day  uttereth 
speech  and  night  unto  night  showeth  knowledge." 

Another  of  the  pleasures  of  this  kind  of  life  was  the 
unselfish  devotion  to  each  other's  comfort  often  exhibited 
among  the  settlers.  One  instance  only  will  be  given  In 
the  summer  of  1843,  streams  became  so  low  that  mills  could 
no  longer  furnish  flour  for  the  settlement,  and  soon  there 
was  great  destitution.  Mrs.  Miner  divided  the  little  she 
had  with  the  pastor's  wife,  and  when  that  was  gone,  no 
flour  or  meal  of  any  kind  could  be  obtained.  When  this 
could  be  endured  no  longer,  an  ox  mill  was  with  much 
labor  put  in  operation.  The  first  fruits  from  this  was  a 
coarse  flour,  but  the  sweetest  and  best  ever  tasted.  As  it 
was  divided  among  the  people,  no  one  would  consent  to 
take  more  than  their  share.  With  such  an  experience  as 
this,  it  was  not  strange  that  when,  after  two  and  a  half  years, 
a  parishioner  invited  Mr.  Gaylord  to  occupy  a  portion  of  a 
new  house  in  another  part  of  the  township,  he  accepted 
with  reluctance,  saying  as  he  left,  "  I  never  expect  to  enjoy 
more  real  domestic  happiness  in  this  world  than  has  fallen 
to  our  lot  in  this  humble  home." 

From  the  journal,  1842: 

January. — Spent    a    Sabbath    at   Mt.    Pleasant.      Sabbath 


122  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLOKD. 

night,  about  three  o'clock,  was  called  up  to  visit  Mrs.  L.,  who 
was  anxious  that  I  should  converse  and  pray  with  her.  She 
was  soon  to  die  and  felt  unprepared.  She  expired  at  half 
past  five  pleading  for  mercy.  I  attended  her  funeral  at  ten 
o'clock  on  Tuesday.  February  23,  left  for  Washington,  the 
counter  seat  of  Washington  county,  to  assist  in  a  protracted 
meeting.  Met  Bro.  Reed  and  Bro.  Burnham,  and  on  the  Sabbath 
we  organized  a  Congregational  church  of  ten  members.  The 
weather  was  quite  unfavorable.  On  Thursday,  at  Danville,  May 
12,  attended  the  funeral  of  Mr.  Alfred  Clarke's  little  child,  aged 
one  year  and  three  months,  and  the  next  week  went  to  Daven- 
port to  attend  the  Congregational  Association  of  Iowa. 

From  the  Home  Missionary : 

Danville,  September,  1842. — I  have  divided  my  time 
between  Mt.  Pleasant  and  this  place  for  the  last  quarter. 
Excellent  attention  is  given  to  the  preaching  of  the  word, 
and  prospects  are  encouraging.  The  truth  seems  to  be  silently 
working  its  wajr  to  the  hearts  of  men.  The  temperance 
reformation  has  taken  hold  at  Mt.  Pleasant,  and  the  results 
have  been  gratifying.  Here  we  have  nothing  more  to  do  in 
that  line  at  present. 

December  13,  1842,  attended  the  funeral  of  Olive  Maines, 
who  died  suddenly  of  bilious  fever.  She  was  a  bright,  intel- 
ligent girl  only  sixteen  years  of  age.  The  parents  are  so 
bowed  down  with  grief  that  the}'  can  scarcely  be  comforted. 
Januaiy  13,  1843,  went  to  Fairfield  to  assist  Bro.  Reed  in  a 
sacramental  meeting.  Returned,  and  on  the  26th  of  the  same 
month  attended  the  funeral  of  Louisa  Hitchcock,  daughter  of 
Father  Hitchcock,  and  one  of  the  interesting  girls  of  my  flock 
in  Danville.  She  was  very  dear  to  her  parents  and  to  a  large 
circle  of  brothers  and  sisters,  who  deeply  mourn  her  loss. 
She  will  be  greatly  missed  in  the  Sabbath  school  and  among  her 
young  friends,  as  well  as  in  the  home  circle. 

At  this  time  there  was  but  one  building  for  school 
during  the  week  and  meetings  on  the  Sabbath — the  large 


A    BAPTISMAL    SCENE.  123 

school  house  near  the  home  of  Dea.  Samuel  Jaggar.  To  this 
meeting  place  every  Sabbath  morning  came  Father  Hitch- 
cock with  a  large  wagon  drawn  by  oxen,  containing  not 
less  than  seventeen  persons.  They  were  the  parents, 
children  and  grandchildren,  who  gladly  rode  the  three  and 
one-half  miles  to  enjoy  this  privilege.  Father  Hitchcock 
emigrated  from  northeastern  Ohio,  bringing  his  family  of 
eleven  children,  the  two  older  ones  with  families  of  their 
own.  Mr.  Gaylord  used  to  say,  "I  do  not  like  to  begin  the 
service  till  Father  Hitchcock  arrives  with  the  congregation." 

The  one  building  was  some  times  occupied  by  the 
Baptist  brethren,  and  Mr.  Gaylord  makes  frequent  mention 
of  preaching  in  private  houses  on  Sabbath  afternoon  and 
evening.  Amongst  these  families  were  those  of  Mr.  Davis, 
on  the  agency  road,  and  Mr.  Basher  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  town.  Mr.  B.  had  come  from  a  southern  state  and 
purchased  a  farm  quite  distant  from  the  place  of  worship. 
But  they  were  sought  out  and  invited  to  the  house  of 
prayer.  There  they  became  deeply  interested,  and  as 
a  happy  result  both  became  Christians.  After  uniting 
with  the  church  they  wished  to  dedicate  their  children  to 
God  in  baptism — eleven  in  number.  They  were  near 
together  in  age  and  amongst  the  little  company  two  pairs 
of  twins.  It  was  an  interesting  and  affecting  sight  to  the 
audience,  as  the  parents  thus  consecrated  all  their  little 
flock  to  God. 

From  a  quarterly  report  in  the  summer  of  1843: 

Three  months  more  gone  to  tell  their  story  of  my  steward- 
ship. And  what  is  the  story?  I  have  been  conscious  during 
tli is  quarter,  of  such  a  desire  as  I  do  not  often  possess,  for  the 
manifestation  of  God's  Spirit  amongst  our  people.  Settlers 
are  coming  in  to  occupy  vacant  land  who  are  not  Christians, 
but  who  might  be  reached  by  us  if  our  efforts  were  accom- 
panied by  this  blessed  Spirit.  We  have  sustained  two  weekly 
prayer  meetings,  one  on  Sabbath  evening  and  one  on  Thursday 


124  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

afternoon  at  four  o'clock.  Both  have  been  attended  with  a 
good  degree  of  interest.  For  several  weeks  a  number  of  our 
church  members  have  met  on  Tuesda}^  evening  to  pray 
especially  for  a  revival  of  religion .  I  have  preached  twice  on 
the  Sabbath  and  held  a  third  service  at  four  in  the  afternoon  in 
an  out  neighborhood  where  some  of  our  members  reside. 
During  the  noon  intermission  I  also  instruct  a  Bible  class  of 
young  men. 

This  quarter  has  been  to  me  one  of  great  pecuniary  trial. 
Having  been  obliged  to  spend  ni}^  means  in  the  spring  to  meet 
a  debt,  I  have  been  out  of  funds  almost  entirely  since  that 
time.  Things  we  need  in  the  family  must  go  un bought  or 
debts  be  incurred .  The  former  we  prefer .  But  we  work  on , 
clinging  with  both  hands  to  the  promise,  "Trust  in  the  Lord 
and  do  good,  so  shalt  thou  dwell  in  the  land  and  verily  thou 
shalt  be  fed." 


VI. 
SEED  TIME  AND  HARVEST. 

1843-1855. 


"  Thou  hast  well  done  that  thou  art  come." 

"  Now,  therefore,  are  we  all  here  present  before  God,  to  hear  all 
things  that  are  commanded  thee  of  God." 

"  Feed  my  sheep."     "  Feed  my  lambs." 

"Preach  the  preaching-  that  I  bid  thee." 

Will  you  gather  the  stones  for  His  temple  divine  ? 
And  the  gems  in  the  crown  of  His  glory  to  shine 

Brighter  far  than  the  sun  ? 
And  then  when  he  comes,  bowing  low  at  His  feet, 
With  rapture  unspeakable  hear  Him  repeat, 

"  Well  done,  thou  good  servant,  well  done  ! " 

— Canadian  Missionary  Link. 

"My  beloved  has  gone  down  into  His  garden  to  gather  lilies." 


Better  the  lamb  with  fleece  unstained 
Thus  early  taken  from  the  flock. 


To  all  the  thoughtless  woi*ld  proclaim, 
One  glorious  hour  of  crowded  life 
Is  worth  an  asre  without  a  name. 


-McDuff. 


-Selected. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Life  in  Danville. 

Andover  Band— Meeting  in  Denmark — Iowa  College; — Installation 
— Bereavement  —  Church  Building  —  Dedication  —  Letters  to 
Mrs.  G a ylord— Trustee  Meetings  in  Davenport — Contributions 
to  Foreign  Missions— Weddings— A  Trd?  East— Select  School- 
Oregon  Emigration— Fruitage — In  Labors  Abundant— Revivals 
— Congregationalism  in  Iowa  —  Cases  of  Conversion  —  Church 
Self  Supporting  —  Journey  to  Nebraska — Invitation  to  Omaha 
— Farewell  Sermon. 

THE  year  1843  was  "  a  year  of  jubilee"  to  the  worn  and 
weary  pioneer  ministers  of  Iowa.  For  five  years  some 
of  them  had  been  praying  and  hoping,  and  pleading  with 
eastern  brethren  for  help.  And  many  times  some  brother 
had  written  that  he  was  thinking  of  Iowa  as  a  field  of  labor. 
But  these  hopes  and  expectations  had  ended  in  bitter  dis- 
appointment. For  if  one  really  set  his  face  westward, 
perhaps  some  watchful  church  would  seize  upon  him  by 
the  way,  and  persuade  him  to  enter  an  easier  or  more  invit- 
ing field.  As  a  natural  consequence,  these  workers  had 
settled  down  to  a  state  of  almost  hopeless  despondency,  and 
when  word  came  that  ten  young  men  had  decided  to  labor 
in  Iowa,  they  were  slow  to  believe  that  anything  would 
come  of  it.  But  finally  becoming  happily  convinced  that 
they  were  really  in  earnest,  in  the  month  of  September  Mr. 
Gaylord  and  Mr.  Turner  started  out  together  to  explore  the 
great  field,  and  ascertain  what  points  among  the  needy 
portions  of  it  were  the  most  needy. 

Had  the  details  of  this  tour  been  written,  they  would 
have  proved  most  interesting  reading.  After  nearly  three 
weeks  of  travel  they  came  to  the  Iowa  river  on  their  way 
homeward.     The   stream   must  be  forded,  and  they  were 


128  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

directed  to  steer  for  two  trees  standing  together  on  the 
opposite  bank.  But  there  proved  to  be  two  places  where 
there  were  two  large  trees  standing  together,  and  the  horse's 
head  was  turned  toward  the  wrong  pair.  Soon  in  crossing 
the  broad  and  shallow  stream  they  came  into  deep  water, 
and  Tom,  a  large  and  tall  missionary  horse,  could  scarce 
touch  bottom.  Providentially  some  men  at  work  on  the 
other  shore  saw  their  mistake,  and  by  hallooing  and  gestures 
caused  them  to  change  their  course.  It  was  a  narrow  escape, 
and  when  the  log  cabin  was  reached  the  next  day,  Bro. 
Turner,  older  and  more  weary  than  the  other,  had  not 
recovered  from  his  nervous  agitation. 

In  the  month  of  November  came  the  longed-for  rein- 
forcement from  Andover.  We  copy  a  short  account  of  this 
interesting  event  from  "The  Iowa  Band": 

"On  Sabbath  morning,  November  5,  the  usually  quiet  town 
of  Denmark  was  all  astir.  Every  child  had  heard  that  nine 
young  ministers,  fresh  from  the  east,  had  come  to  preach  in  the 
Territory.  In  anticipation  of  this  event  Rev.  Asa  Turner  and 
Rev .  R .  Gay  lord  had  taken  a  long  tour  to  decide  upon  the  places 
to  be  occupied.  Several  of  the  young  men  were  to  be  ordained. 
Denmark  then  consisted  of  a  few  scattered  farm  houses,  and  a 
low,  broken-backed,  elongated  building,  compelled  as  yet  to  the 
double  service  of  school  and  meeting  house." 

Mr.  Gaylord  gave  the  right-hand  of  fellowship  at  these 
ordination  services.  He  thus  wrote  respecting  them  to  the 
Home  Missionary  Board : 

November  7,  1843. — I  returned  yesterday  from  Denmark, 
where  Ave  met  to  organize  a  District  Association  and  to  welcome 
the  ten  young  brethren  who  had  just  arrived.  We  had  pre- 
viously at  our  fall  meeting  divided  into  North  and  South,  the 
Iowa  river  being  the  dividing  line.  I  need  not  tell  3*011  that 
we  had  an  interesting  and  affecting  meeting.  Our  hearts  did 
indeed  rejoice  after  years  of  toil  almost  alone  to  welcome  so 


THE    ANDOVER    BAND.  129 

many  to  share  with  us  in  the  good  work.  Seven  of  them, 
together  with  Bro.  Granger,  were  ordained.  After  our  long 
journey  in  September,  Bro.  Turner  and  I  had  mapped  out  the 
field  as  best  we  could.  With  this  before  them  and  a  little  advice 
they  selected  their  places  and  are  now  on  their  way  to  then- 
various  points  of  destination. 

We  give  their  names  and  fields:  Harvey  Adams,  Farrn- 
ington;  Daniel  Lane,  Keosauqua;  Ebenezer  Alden,  Solon; 
Horace  Hutchinson,  Burlington;  W.  A.  Thompson,  Fair- 
field; Ephraim  Adams,  Mt.  Pleasant;  A.  B.  Robbins, 
Bloomington — now  Muscatine;  Edwin  Turner,  Cascade; 
William  Salter,  Maquoketa;  Benjamin  A.  Spaulding,  itin- 
erant labor  on  the  frontier. 

There  was  very  much  in  the  coining  of  these  young 
brethren  to  inspire  hope  and  courage  in  the  hearts  of  those 
who  had  borne  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day,  for  they 
soon  proved  to  be  sympathetic,  congenial  spirits — willing 
to  help  carry  these  burdens.  They  seemed  fitted  by  nature 
and  grace  to  go  wherever  duty  called,  and  willing  to  do 
any  work  for  God  which  came  to  their  hand — could  sleep 
peacefully  on  a  straw  mattress  in  one  corner  of  the  family 
room  in  a  log  cabin,  or  eat  whatever  was  set  before  them 
at  the  table  without  complaining.  Thus  the  good  work, 
receiving  a  new  impulse,  went  on,  with  more  seed-sowing 
and  richer  harvests. 

The  Iowa  Educational  Association,  formed  in  Yale 
Theological  Seminary,  has  been  alluded  to  in  extracts  from 
Mr.  Gaylord's  journal  and  letters.  We  give  the  names  of 
its  members  again:  Stewart,  Haile,  Mattocks,  Clark, 
Gay  lord,  Kitchel,  Richardson.  The  plan  of  "a  college  for 
the  future  state  of  Iowa,"  formed  by  these  young  men  with 
so  much  hopefulness  and  enthusiasm,  was  not  at  once,  or 
very  soon,  carried  out.  But  it  was  not  forgotten  in  all 
those  years  of  waiting,  for  it  was  something  which  lay 
very  near  to  the  heart  of  more  than  one  of  those  early 

10 


130  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

workers.  On  March  12,  1844,  six  years  after  the  organiza- 
tion of  this  little  band  at  New  Haven,  and  a  few  months 
subsequent  to  the  advent  of  the  Andover  Band,  a  meeting 
of  those  interested  in  the  founding  of  a  college  was  held  at 
Denmark.  On  the  15th  of  April,  at  another  meeting  of 
the  Congregational  and  New  School  Presbyterian  ministers 
in  the  Territory,  the  '"Iowa  College  Association"  was 
organized.  At  this  time,  after  a  report  of  the  March  meet- 
ing had  been  given,  the  main  subject  was  brought  before 
the  minds  of  those  present  by  a  resolution  presented  by 
Mr.  Gaylord  as  follows : 

"Resolved,  That  we  deem  it  expedient  without  delay  to 
adopt  measures  preparatory  to  laying  the  foundation  of  an 
institution  of  learning  in  this  territory." 

This  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted,  and  at  a 
meeting  held  in  Davenport  two  years  later,  twelve  trustees 
were  chosen — Mr.  Gaylord  among  the  number.  The 
trustees  then  met  and  appointed  an  Executive  Committee 
and  a  Committee  on  Charter,  of  which  latter  Mr.  G.  was 
also  a  member. 

The  next  year  at  a  meeting  in  Burlington  the  trustees 
adopted  Articles  of  Constitution  under  the  laws  of  the 
state.  Of  this  Board  of  Trustees  Mr.  Gaylord  remained  a 
member  until  his  resignation  soon  after  his  removal  to 
Nebraska,  in  1855.  He  was  always  careful  to  attend  the 
meetings  of  the  Board,  often  taking  the  trip  on  horseback, 
a  distance  of  eighty  miles. 

In  1847-8  the  first  college  building  was  erected  at  Daven- 
port, a  plain,  substantial  structure  36  by  55  feet.  After  a 
period  of  ten  or  twelve  years  it  was  found  necessary  to 
remove  the  institution,  and  Grinnell,  Iowa,  was  chosen  for 
its  location.  This  place  was  named  for  Hon.  J.  B.  Grinnell, 
one  of  its  founders,  who  had  emigrated  thither  from 
Brooklyn,  New  York.  His  influence  and  generous  gifts 
were  largely  instrumental  in  helping  the  trustees  and  friends 
of  the  college  to  make  so  wise  a  choice.     It  made   slow 


VIRGINIA    GROVE.  131 

progress  at  first,  but  in  a  few  years  entered  upon  a  career 
of  sure  and  steady  growth,  which  continued  until  its  build- 
ings were  hurled  to  destruction  by  the  terrible  cyclone  of 
June,  1882.  But  the  munificent  gifts  of  a  generous  public 
soon  restored  it  to  more  than  its  former  completeness  and 
beauty,  and  it  is  now  a  noble  institution  doing  a  great  and 
noble  work. 

In  those  early  days  our  nearest  route  to  Muscatine, 
Davenport  and  some  other  points,  was  by  way  of  Flint 
Creek  and  the  twenty-mile  prairie.  On  passing  out  of  the  belt 
of  timber  on  the  creek,  we  entered  this  prairie,  which  in 
1841  and  '42  had  not  been  encroached  upon  by  any  human 
habitation.  It  was  not  level,  but  gently  undulating,  with 
ravines  in  which  were  often  found  living  springs.  This 
prairie,  like  many  others,  was  clothed  with  the  most  lux- 
uriant verdure,  but  absolutely  treeless.  On  its  northern 
boundary  was  a  fine  natural  park  of  many  acres,  filled  with 
a  beautiful  growth  of  the  native  trees  of  Iowa.  This  was 
called  "Virginia  Grove."  After  the  long  ride  of  twenty 
miles  it  was  most  refreshing  to  reach  this  grove  at  night- 
fall, and  find  a  pleasant-looking  home  nestled  among  the 
trees  where  we  could  ask  for  entertainment.  We  had  been 
in  the  house  but  a  short  time  on  our  first  visit,  when  Mrs. 
Brown,  the  wife  and  mother,  inquired  if  Mr.  Gaylord  was 
a  clergyman.  On  receiving  an  affirmative  answer  her  eyes 
filled  with  tears  and  she  said,  "  It  is  three  years  since  I 
have  seen  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  and  my  boys  are  grow- 
ing up  with  no  church  or  Sabbath  school  to  help  them  into 
the  right  way."  At  night  and  in  the  morning  the  Bible 
was  brought  and  the  family  called  together  for  worship. 
When  money  was  proffered  for  the  entertainment  on  leav- 
ing, they  refused  to  accept  it,  saying  "  All  we  ask  of  you  is 
to  come  again."  Such  experiences  as  this  stimulated  and 
encouraged  the  workers  of  those  early  days. 


132  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

To  Dr.  Badger : 

April  2,  1844. — Think  I  can  say  without  boasting,  that  I 
am  getting  a  stronger  hold  in  this  community  than  I  ever  had 
before .  The  seed  is  sown .  I  now  wish  to  see  it  watered  by 
the  prayers  of  God's  people,  and  caused  to  germinate  by  the 
influence  of  His  Spirit.  Then  I  think  my  joy  will  be  full.  King 
Alcohol  has  no  soldiers  in  this  township  [Danville] ,  and  no  liquor 
is  sold  within  seven  miles.  Our  people  are  preparing  to  build 
a  house  of  worship  the  present  season.  The  land  around  us, 
which  lay  in  its  native  wildness  when  you  were  here,  has  been 
entered  by  those  who  will  become  actual  settlers.  We  have 
just  moved  from  the  humble  log  cabin  which  you  so  graphically 
described  during  your  western  tour,  and  now  live  two  and  one- 
half  miles  south,  near  where  our  house  of  worship  is  to  be 
built.  Mr.  Porter,  the  owner  of  the  house,  kindly  offered  us 
the  use  of  it  one  year  without  charge. 

From  quarterly  report : 

The  first  Sabbath  of  this  quarter  I  spent  at  Brighton, 
holding  a  protracted  meeting  with  Bro.  Turner;  the  second 
with  Bro.  Turner  at  Denmark  at  a  three  days'  meeting,  and  the 
third  at  Fairfield  at  the  installation  of  Rev.  Mr.  Reed  and  a 
protracted  meeting.  Twice  I  have  preached  in  a  large  neigh- 
borhood southwest  from  Danville,  where  they  are  anxious  J 
should  make  regular  appointments. 

In  March,  1844,  Mr.  Gaylord  received  a  unanimous  call 
from  the  church  and  society  in  Danville  to  become  their 
settled  pastor.  Under  date  of  April  2  he  wrote,  "  I  have 
just  returned  an  affirmative  answer  to  an  invitation  from 
our  people  to  settle  over  them  and  become  their  installed 
pastor."  One  of  his  brethren  present  at  the  installation 
afterwards  prepared  an  account  of  it,  from  which  we  give 
extracts : 

Two  weeks  ago  Bro.  Reuben  Gaylord  was  installed  over  the 
church  in  Danville.     There  had  been  an  increasing  interest  in 


INSTALLATION    AT    DANVILLE.  133 

the  congregation  for  some  weeks,  and  it  was  determined  to  hold 
a  series  of  meetings.  I  can  say  for  myself,  and  think  I  can  speak 
the  feelings  of  all  the  rest,  that  it  was  the  most  blessed  season 
we  have  had  in  the  Territory.  May  God  send  more  and  richer. 
The  church  were  happily  and  joyfully  united.  The  cold  were 
revived,  the  wayward  reclaimed;  many  were  established  in  doc- 
trine and  strengthened  in  faith.  I  never  saw  doctrinal 
preaching  take  such  effect.  It  Avas  the  power  of  God,  and  I  am 
convinced  that  the  doctrines,  when  properly  presented,  are 
most  powerful  swords  of  the  Spirit,  and  will  produce  the  best 
results.  Two  men,  husbands  of  members  of  the  church,  were 
deeply  interested.  One  of  them,  who  had  formerly  hindered 
his  children  from  attending  meeting,  now  came  with  his  family. 
The  other  had  been  far  from  God,  but  both  were  convinced  and 
renounced  their  errors.  Then  they  exhorted  their  former  com- 
panions to  flee  from  sin . 

Mr.  Gaylord  writes : 

I  was  installed  Maj'  20,  1844.  The  exercises  were  deeply 
interesting,  and  were  followed  by  continuous  meetings,  in 
which  the  Spirit  of  God  was  strikingly  manifested.  Six  were 
added  to  the  church,  and  others  embraced  Christ  during  the 
meetings.  The  church  was  revived,  difficulties  removed,  and 
union  and  harmony  now  prevail.  Two  heads  of  families,  who 
had  been  opposers,  came  out  decidedly  on  the  Lord's  side. 
One  of  them  was  formerly  an  open  infidel,  very  popular,  and 
an  ardent  supporter  of  Abner  Kneeland.  They  are  both  very 
decided,  and  fear  not  to  testify  to  all  around  of  the  love  of 
God.  The  church,  one  and  all,  left  their  work  to  come  up  to 
the  house  of  God  during  the  whole  meeting. 

August  3. — Mr.  Porter,  in  whose  house  we  lived  and  who 
boarded  with  us,  returned,  from  an  absence  of  three  weeks, 
quite  ill.  He  had  taken  a  trip  to  Cincinnati  b}*  steamboat, 
and  the  high  water  at  C.  caused  much  sickness  there.  He  con- 
tinued to  grow  worse,  and  died  on  the  last  day  of  July.  He 
owned  the  land  on  which  our  meeting  house  was  to  be  built, 
and  had  promised  to  give  several  acres  to  the  society  for  their 


134  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLOED. 

use  and  benefit.  He  had  subsci'ibed  $200  in  money  towards 
building  the  house.  This  will  defeat  our  calculations  in  regard 
to  the  house  this  season,  but  we  trust  his  sister  in  Cincinnati, 
who  is  his  sole  heir,  will  carry  out  her  brother's  wishes. 

October  22. — Although  we  fail  of  building  our  meeting 
house  this  season,  jret  the  school  house,  in  which  we  have  met 
hitherto,  has  been  fitted  up  so  as  to  be  comfortable  for  winter. 
The  members  seem  to  feel  a  more  lively  interest  in  the  church 
and  a  stronger  attachment  to  it  than  ever  before. 

From  quarterly  report,  March,  1845 : 

My  labors  during  the  quarter  have  been  two  sermons  on 
the  Sabbath,  class  in  Sabbath  school  during  intermission,  meet- 
ing Sabbath  evening,  to  which  I  go  from  two  and  one-half  to 
four  miles,  and  a  neighborhood  prayer  meeting  on  Thursday, 
which  is  held  from  house  to  house  through  the  congregation. 
The  Sabbath  school  is  quite  interesting,  and  embraces  a  large 
portion  of  the  people.  I  now  have  a  class  of  married  ladies. 
Our  place  of  meeting  is  often  crowded  and  all  see  the  need  of 
a  larger  house.  The  committee  are  pushing  their  arrangements 
to  put  one  up  early  in  the  season.  It  is  to  be  a  frame  building 
thirty  by  forty,  and  we  build  with  no  outside  help. 

December,  1845. — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Porter  gave  us  a  piece  of 
land  on  which  to  build  a  home  for  ourselves  near  where  our 
new  church  is  to  stand.  We  succeeded  in  erecting  the  build- 
ing, and,  with  one  coat  of  plastering  on  one  room,  moved  into 
it  a  few  days  since. 

Pleasure  and  pain,  joy  and  sadness,  are  sometimes 
strangely  intermingled  as  memory  calls  up  scenes  of  past 
years  and  spreads  them  out  before  our  mental  vision.  It  is 
like  opening  an  old  book  long  closed,  and  glancing  over  its 
once  familiar  pages,  or  reading  again  an  interesting  letter 
laid  away  in  the  long  ago,  but  so  carefully  preserved  that 
every  word  is  as  distinct  as  on  the  day  it  was  written. 

What  sweet  and  hallowed  memories  cluster  around  those 
neighborhood  prayer-meetings  spoken  of  in  the  above  re- 


NEIGHBORHOOD    PRAYER-MEETINGS.  135 

port.  One  afternoon  of  each  week  was  sacredly  and  joyfully 
set  apart  for  these  social  and  spiritual  gatherings,  for  such 
they  were  to  those  Christian  pioneers.  They  were  held  by 
turn  from  house  to  house,  nearty  all  the  houses  being  log 
cabins,  with  one  or  two  rooms  and  possibly  a  "  lean-to  "  for 
summer  use.  Their  occupants  were  emigrants,  principally 
from  New  England,  New  York  and  Ohio,  "exiles  from  home," 
with  hearts  still  yearning  "  for  the  old  firesides."  But  they 
would  not  go  back  to  them,  for  they  loved  their  humble 
prairie  homes,  and  expected  to  make  them  more  beautiful 
and  convenient  in  the  da}rs  to  come.  And  they  were  pil- 
grims and  strangers,  looking  forward  to  a  "  better  country, 
that  is  a  heavenly."  One  by  one,  as  the  years  have  passed 
away,  very  many  of  them  have  gone  to  that  "  heavenly 
home."  No  sweeter  sacred  songs  have  ever  been  sung — 
none  more  uplifting,  than  some  of  the  favorites  of  those 
meetings.     We  give  the  first  lines  of  some  of  them  : 

Come  Holy  Spirit,  heavenly  Dove — 

Am  I  a  soldier  of  the  cross — 
Show  pity,  Lord;  O  Lord  forgive — 

O  for  a  closer  walk  with  God — 

When  I  can  read  my  title  clear — 

How  blest  the  sacred  tie  that  binds — 

I  love  thy  Kingdom,  Lord — 

Later  on,  these  meetings  were  transferred  to  a  new 
school-house,  built  in  the  Hitchcock  neighborhood,  near  the 
residence  of  Mr.  Miner.  One  of  them  will  long  be  remem- 
bered as  the  scene  of  what  was  thought  to  be  a  special 
answer  to  prayer.  It  was  on  a  warm  afternoon  in  summer, 
that  the  families  of  the  neighborhood  assembled  at  the 
usual  hour.  Some  of  the  men  came  directly  from  their 
work,  leaving  their  teams  in  the  field.  Before  the  meeting 
commenced,  they  gathered  around  the  minister,  and  stood 
for  a  few  minutes  talking  together  with  sad  hearts  of  the 
great  injury  to  the  crops  from  the  drought  then  prevailing. 


136  LIFE   OF    REUBEN    GAYLOED. 

Corn  and  potatoes  were  suffering,  the  grass  was  drying  up, 
milk  and  butter  were  greatly  reduced  in  quantity,  and  hay 
would  be  scarce.  It  was  then  proposed  that  this  should  be 
a  prayer  meeting  for  rain.  These  dear  brethren  lived  near 
to  God,  and  knew  how  to  pray.  The  desks  of  the  school- 
room were  built  next  to  the  outside  walls,  and  in  front  of 
them  were  seats  for  the  scholars.  As  the  meeting  progressed, 
clouds  gathered  over  the  face  of  the  sky,  and  while  one 
brother  was  on  his  knees  praying  before  the  open  window, 
the  rain,  falling  upon  the  desk,  spattered  in  his  face.  It 
continued  to  increase,  until  at  the  close  but  few  ventured 
out.  At  the  home  down  at  "  the  Center,"  only  three  miles 
away,  there  were  but  a  few  drops  of  rain,  and  the  supper 
table  stood  long  waiting  for  its  principal  occupant,  but  it 
was  nearly  sunset  before  he  made  his  appearance.  A  steady 
and  copious  rain  had  fallen  for  three  hours,  and  as  his  horse 
trotted  over  the  plank  road,  water  was  running  in  the  ditch 
by  its  side. 

It  was  during  some  of  these  years  that  the  Mormon 
town  of  Nauvoo,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi  in 
Illinois,  was  a  source  of  great  annoyance  to  the  inhabitants 
of  eastern  Iowa.  Raids  were  often  made  across  the  river, 
and  cattle,  horses,  and  other  movable  property  taken  to 
Nauvoo.  But  worse  than  all,  it  was  a  city  of  refuge  for 
criminals  of  all  classes,  even  the  greatest.  Added  to  this, 
the  presiding  judge  was  opposed  to  capital  punishment. 
No  murderer,  under  his  administration,  had  ever  paid  the 
penalty  for  his  crime  with  his  life.  Property  and  life  had 
become  so  insecure  as  to  cause  almost  constant  uneasiness 
and  fear  among  the  people.  This  culminated  when  one 
night,  at  West  Point,  an  aged  German  and  wife,  known  to 
have  money,  were  robbed  and  brutally  murdered.  The 
son,  sleeping  in  another  room,  heard  the  noise  and  rushed 
to  their  defense.  He  fought  manfully  with  no  weapon  but  a 
chair,  and  finally  drove  them  off,  but  too  late  to  save  his 
parents  and  nearly  lost  his  own  life.     They  fled  to  Nauvoo 


DEATH    OF    CHILD    AND    SISTER.  137 

as  usual,  but  popular  indignation  was  so  roused  that  the 
destruction  of  Nauvoo  was  threatened,  and  the  Mormons, 
fearing  this  threat  would  be  carried  out,  delivered  up  the 
murderers,  and  the  people  demanded  that  they  should  be 
hanged.  They  were  tried  in  Burlington,  convicted,  and 
Judge  Mason,  no  longer  able  to  resist  the  demands  of 
justice,  sentenced  them  to  be  executed.  Then  the  people 
breathed  more  freely,  and  a  sense  of  safety  took  the  place 
of  anxiety  and  alarm. 

Danville,  August  8,  1846. — On  my  return  from  the  June 
meeting  of  our  Association  in  Dubuque,  I  found  our  little 
child  lying  sick  so  as  to  excite  in  our  minds  apprehension  as  to 
the  result.  She  continued  to  decline,  suffering  greatly  for 
nearly  three  weeks,  when  she  was  released  from  a  world  of 
pain  and  transplanted  to  that  world  where  the  inhabitant  shall 
no  more  say,  "I  am  sick."  She  died  on  the  3rd  of  July,  and 
on  Independence  day  we  laid  the  dear  remains  in  the  silent 
grave.  Just  eleven  days  later  we  followed  to  the  burial  place 
my  only  remaining  sister,  who  had  for  months  been  gradually 
going  down  to  the  tomb,  the  victim  of  consumption.  She  died 
in  peace,  and  sleeps  in  Jesus.  But  heavy  as  these  afflictions 
were,  they  sometimes  seemed  light  compared  with  some  trials  I 
have  been  called  to  pass  through  in  the  church.  Two  members 
were  dismissed  and  asked  for  a  council.  The  council  met  and 
sustained  the  action  of  the  church.  Then  six  of  the  family 
connection  withdrew. 

On  the  28th  of  December,  1846,  Iowa  was  admitted  into 
the  Union  and  became  a  state. 

Danville,  May  15,  1847. — We  have  had  much  interest  on 
the  subject  of  temperance  since  the  beginning  of  this  year.  A 
society  has  been  formed,  which  now  numbers  more  than  100 
members.  The  question  of  license  or  no  license  was  submitted 
to  the  people  of  the  several  counties  of  the  state  at  the  election 
on  the  first  Monday  in  April.  The  ticket  "No  license"  carried 
in  every  county  but  one.  The  vote  in  this  township  stood  9 
for  license  and  113  against. 


138  LIFE   OF   REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

From  a  quarterly  report,  1847 : 

We  have  at  last  been  enabled  to  finish  our  house  of  worship, 
for  which  we  have  been  earnestly  laboring  so  long.  We  owe  its 
completion  to  the  prosperity  which  attended  the  farming  inter- 
est, in  the  advanced  price  of  grain  during  the  past  six  months. 
Some  who  last  fall  thought  they  had  done  all  they  could,  have 
been  able  to  do  more,  and  have,  I  trust,  presented  it  as  a 
thank  offering  to  the  Lord.  The  house  was  dedicated  on  the 
18th  of  August,  with  appropriate  and  interesting  religious 
exercises.  Four  of  the  brethren  spent  a  few  days  with  me 
immediately  succeeding,  and  visited  among  the  members 
of  the  church.  Now,  blessed  with  a  new  and  comfortable 
house  of  worship,  erected  solely  by  our  own  exertions, 
with  a  church  harmonious  and  strengthened  by  the  effort  to 
build,  and  with  earnest  prayer  for  Divine  blessing,  I  look  for- 
ward to  the  future  with  hope  and  courage. 

In  August  of  this  year  one  of  those  mysterious  meteors, 
which  have  never  been  satisfactorily  accounted  for,  made 
its  appearance  in  Linn  county,  Iowa.  The  noise  which 
accompanied  it  was  compared  by  some  to  distant  thunder, 
by  others  to  the  rumbling  of  a  heavily  loaded  wagon  over 
frozen  ground.  It  fell  with  a  hissing  sound,  making  a 
large  indentation  in  the  earth.  Then  it  burst  asunder  with 
such  force  that  the  pieces  were  widely  scattered.  Prof. 
Shepard,  of  New  Haven,  hearing  of  this,  wrote  to  Mr.  Gay- 
lord,  requesting  him  to  visit  the  place  and  secure  the 
specimens.  The  money,  forwarded  in  advance  for  these, 
enabled  Mrs.  Gaylord  to  fulfill  a  long  cherished  desire  to 
visit  once  more  her  eastern  home.  Mr.  Gaylord  accompan- 
ied her  up  the  Mississippi  from  Burlington  to  Davenport. 
From  there,  with  little  Sarah  and  a  sister's  child,  she  pur- 
sued the  long  journey  alone,  going  from  Davenport  to 
Chicago  by  stage  coach,  thence  the  thousand  miles  by 
steamer  to  Buffalo,  and  from  there  to  Hartford,  Connecticut, 
by  rail.     In  the  meantime  Mr.  Gaylord  visited  Linn  county 


THE    METEOR   IN   LINN   COUNTY.  139 

and  succeeded  in  collecting  and  forwarding  some  very  fine 
specimens  from  this  remarkable  intruder.  His  letters  dur- 
ing her  absence  will  occupy  several  pages  of  this  chapter. 

Danville,  Iowa,  September  25,  1847. — Returned  last  even- 
ing from  my  trip  to  Linn  county.  I  was  successful  in  obtaining 
the  large  piece  of  the  meteor,  weighing  twenty-two  pounds,  for 
$30.  I  also  obtained  three  other  small  but  very  fine  specimens. 
I  made  the  trip  in  five  days,  and  had  a  most  delightful  time. 
Not  a  drop  of  rain  and  almost  a  cloudless  sky .  I  will  now  go 
back  to  the  time  we  separated  at  Davenport.  Our  boat  came 
slowly  down  the  river,  and  it  was  eleven  o'clock  when  we 
landed  in  Burlington.  I  found  Mr.  Seymour  waiting  to  bring 
me  out,  and  it  was  near  three  in  the  morning  when  we  reached 
home.  The  next  Sabbath  evening  I  held  a  prayer-meeting  at 
Mr.  Miner's — went  home  with  Mr.  Antrobus,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing started  northward  for  Linn .  Found  everything  safe  when 
I  got  home  last  night.  Learn  that  my  brother's  little  boy, 
Henry,  is  very  ill.  Had  a  letter  from  Bro.  Bascom,  which 
relieved  my  mind  from  some  anxiety  in  regard  to  your  journey. 

October  15. — Am  sorry. to  say  that  brother  A.'s  little  son, 
Henry,  is  no  more.  He  lingered,  suffering  greatly,  until  last 
week  Wednesday,  when  he  ceased  to  breathe.  It  is  a  heavy 
stroke  to  the  family.  May  its  influence  over  the  other  children 
be  salutary!  Mr.  S.  Ward,  who  lived  near  Mr.  Seymour's, 
died  yesterday. 

October  29. — Received  a  letter  from  Prof.  Shepard  with 
the  promise  of  another  check  for  $75 .  He  is  greatly  delighted 
with  my  success  in  obtaining  the  specimens.  How  clearly 
marked  is  the  hand  of  a  kind  Providence  in  providing  the 
means  for  you  to  make  that  long  desired  visit!  Without  this,  I 
could  not  have  seen  the  way  open  to  meet  the  expense.  *  * 
Nathan  Lewis  and  Minerva  Burnell  were  married  last  week  and 
attended  church  on  the  Sabbath.  Mr.  Wolcott  and  Jerusha 
Hitchcock  were  married  day  before  yesterday  at  twelve  o'clock. 
It  was  a  very  pleasant  wedding.  We  sat  down  to  a  sumptuous 
dinner,  after   which  I  drove    to   Mt.   Pleasant   to   attend  the 


140  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

Association.  Bro.  Reed  was  present,  also  Revs.  Turner,  Lane, 
Salter,  Ripley,  and  others.  It  was  pleasant  to  meet  the  brethren 
again.  On  Sabbath,  the  17th,  I  preached  in  Denmark,  in  ex- 
change with  Bro.  Turner.  Franklin  Jaggar  and  Sarah  Miner 
are  attending  school  in  the  academy  there,  and  Irena  Hitchcock 
is  to  spend  the  winter  in  Denmark. 

I  had  sufficiently  recovered  from  my  temporary  illness  to 
commence  traveling  on  October  12.  Have  since  attended  the 
meetings  of  Des  Moines  Presbytery  and  the  Congregational 
Association,  which  required  about  two  hundred  and  forty  miles 
travel.  But  I  have  succeeded  in  having  those  bodies  adopt 
systematic  efforts  in  the  work  of  missions. 

November  8. — Have  just  returned  from  a  ride  and  several 
calls.  Spent  some  time  at  Esq.  Messenger's,  Mr.  Snow's  and 
Mr.  Miner's.  Visited  at  Mr.  Antrobus'  and  took  supper. 
This  is  Monday  evening,  November  8 — not  rainy  or  muddy 
as  six  years  ago,  but  clear  and  pleasant.  Mr.  Porter  will  go 
east,  perhaps  this  week.  Yesterday  was  our  communion  season. 
That  and  the  monthly  concert  were  veiy  interesting.  My 
room  is  pleasant,  and  my  boarding  place  all  I  could  wish. 
Mrs.  Porter  is  very  kind,  and  Harriet  ready  to  do  all  she  can 
for  my  comfort.  Doubtless  before  this,  you  have  seen  "her 
that  bare  me"  and  conversed  familiarly  with  her.  How  do 
you  like  the  aged  saint?  You  cannot  but  like  her,  for  she  is 
my  mother!  Hope  you  will  be  particular  to  write  fully,  how 
she  is  situated,  enjoys  herself,  etc.     Oh,  she  is  a  mother  indeed! 

November  25. — This  has  been  since  Sunday  a  most  un- 
pleasant week.  Sabbath  was  a  lovely  day,  and  the  house  was 
well  filled.  Monday  it  commenced  raining  and  continued  two 
days.  Then  came  a  snow  storm  followed  by  severe  cold. 
Today  (Thanksgiving)  it  has  been  very  cold  and  blustering. 
So  few  came  to  meeting  that  I  did  not  preach.  Mr.  Hedge's 
father  is  in  Burlington,  and  will  spend  the  winter  with  them. 
I  saw  a  Mr.  Martin  K.Whittlesey  at  Mr.  Starr's  in  Burlington. 
He  is  just  from  New  Haven.  Since  the  18th  of  November  I 
have  been  occupied  in  visiting  churches  in  the  south  part  of 
the  state,  beginning  at  Iowa  City. 


LOOKING  FOR  A  LETTER.  141 

Danville,  December  10. — Language  is  too  weak  to  describe 
the  feelings  of  intense  anxiety  which  for  nearly  four  weeks 
possessed  my  mind  by  day  and  by  night.  Daily  I  visited  the 
postoffice  and  returned  sick  at  heart  because  no  letter  came. 
But  I  was  finally  enabled  to  commit  all  to  our  covenant  keep- 
ing God — to  give  all  our  interests  entirely  by  faith  into  His 
hands  and  say,  "Thy  will  be  done."  The  change  which  this 
wrought  in  my  mind  was  productive  of  no  small  degree  of 
happiness.  I  felt  that  God  would  do  all  things  right,  and 
from  that  time  enjoyed  a  composure  and  peace  of  mind  to 
which  I  had  been  too  much  of  a  stranger.  On  Monday  Esq. 
Messenger  met  me  with  a  smile,  saying,  "There  is  a  letter 
for  you." 

The  long  time  occupied  by  the  journey,  and  the  illness 
of  Mrs.  Gaylord  on  the  way,  caused  this  delay  in  receiving 
a  letter.  The  fatigue  of  the  ride  from  Rock  Island  to 
Chicago,  induced  fever  and  ague,  which  prostrated  her 
during  the  lake  passage  on  the  steamer  Niagara,  so  that 
at  Buffalo  she  was  at  first  unable  to  board  the  eastern  train, 
and  could  not  write  until  she  had  reached  the  home  of  her 
friends  in  Connecticut.  A  journey  from  Iowa  to  Con- 
necticut meant  as  many  weeks  in  1847  as  days  in  1889. 
The  weariness  experienced  in  traveling  by  stage  coach, 
water,  and  the  slow  and  careful  railway  coach  of  those  days 
can  scarcely  be  imagined  by  one  who  now  enters  a  "flyer," 
and  is  borne  almost  on  the  wings  of  the  wind  to  the 
place  of  destination. 

Have  had  a  good  visit  with  Rev.  Mr.  Reed,  who  spent  the 
night  with  me.  He  is  in  rather  poor  health.  St.  Clair,  an 
anti-slavery  lecturer  has  been  here  and  spoken  to  the  people  two 
evenings.  He  is  an  excellent  speaker  and  his  addresses  were 
well  received.  There  is  to  be  an  anti-slaveiy  state  convention  at 
Yellow  Springs  next  week.  A  strong  battery  is  about  to  be 
opened  upon  this  accursed  system.  The  Lord  hasten  its  over- 
throw in  His  own  time. 


142  LIFE   OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

To  the  Congregational  ministry  of  those  clays  is  largely 
due  the  foremost  position  which  Iowa  has  always  held  in 
education  and  reform.  The  motto  they  carried  to  that  new 
land  was  "  For  God  and  humanity,"  and  they  kept  this 
motto  sacred  through  all  their  years  of  self-denying  labor. 
They  were  the  unflinching  advocates  of  temperance,  anti- 
slavery,  Sabbath  keeping,  and  all  just  and  righteous  reforms, 
and  their  successors,  treading  in  their  footsteps,  have  con- 
tinued to  cultivate  these  righteous  principles,  until  they  are 
now  producing  fruit  an  hundred  fold,  in  helping  to  make 
Iowa  what  she  is  fast  becoming — one  of  the  model  states  of 
the  Union. 

Danville,  December  21. — Have  been  reading- a  little  volume 
published  by  Prof.  Turner,  of  Illinois  College,  entitled,  "The 
Kingdom  of  Heaven  Against  Hierarchies."  It  is  a  strong 
argument  in  favor  of  Congregationalism.  This  day  I  have  spent 
in  visiting,  and  will  give  you  some  account  of  it.  First  called  at 
Mr.  Sawyer's  —  conversed  as  faithfully  as  I  knew  how  and 
prayed  with  the  family.  I  left  Mrs.  S.  in  tears.  Then  went  to 
Mr.  W.'s  room  and  held  personal  conversation  on  the  interests 
of  the  soul.  Next  called  at  Mr.  Lewis'  and  found  Mrs.  Lewis 
very  sick  with  fever.  Conversed  and  prayed  with  her  and  she 
seemed  very  thankful  indeed.  "Was  very  kindly  received  at 
Mr.  Gillilland's  and  Mr  Hunter's.  Then  went  to  Mr.  Pinto's 
and  showed  them  our  articles  of  faith  and  church  covenant  by 
request.  They  attend  our  meetings  regularly,  and  I  think  will 
be  with  us  soon .  I  have  proposed  to  the  church  to  spend  the 
first  day  of  the  new  year  as  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  in 
preparation  for  the  communion  which  will  be  the  next  day. 
Our  nephew,  H.  Gay  lord,  will  unite  with  the  church  at  that 
time.  He  appears  well.  Religion  seems  to  have  taken  a  strong 
hold  of  him.  Oh,  that'Sarah  maj^  love  God  with  her  youthful 
heart ! 

From  Mr.  Gaylord's  quarterly  report  in  the  Home  Mis- 
sionary of  March,  1848: 


A    GOOD    CONTRIBUTION.  143 

Note  by  the  Editors:  "We  regard  the  following  facts  as 
sources  of  good.  The  effort  of  this  [Danville]  congregation  to 
sustain  itself  and  contribute  to  the  cause  of  benevolence,  is 
worthy  of  all  praise.  It  bespeaks  a  people,  sensible  of  the  value 
of  their  own  privileges,  and  as  having  made  a  good  use  of  them." 

The  most  interesting  portion  of  our  history  for  the  last 
three  months,  is  the  evidence  it  has  furnished  of  the  growing 
interest  felt  in  benevolent  efforts  for  a  lost  world.  I  presented 
the  claims  of  the  Foreign  Missionary  Board  in  November.  My 
object  was,  so  to  bring  out  the  truth,  that  it  should  lead  the 
people  to  act  from  principle  and  not  from  impulse.  No  strong 
appeal  was  made  on  the  ground  of  the  urgent  necessities  of  the 
case,  but  truth  drawn  from  the  text,  "He  that  watereth  shall  be 
watered  also  himself,"  was  plainly  set  forth,  and  the  people 
called  upon  to  act  from  a  sense  of  duty  and  as  a  matter  of  con- 
science. After  the  Sabbath  I  went  around  and  called  upon  the 
members  of  my  congregation  and  simply  asked  each  one  what 
they  wished  to  give.  The  result  was  a  subscription  of  $55. 
There  had  been  previously  contributed  at  the  monthly  concert 
$6.50,  which  makes  our  contribution  to  that  object  for  the  year 
$61.50.  This  makes  by  far  the  largest  collection  ever  taken  up 
here  for  that  object.  That  for  the  Home  Missionary  Society 
last  spring  exceeded  any  previous  donation,  and  the  manner  in 
which  this  was  given  leads  me  to  think  that  we  shall  go  on 
increasing,  provided  our  ability  increases.  Our  people  during 
the  year  have  expended  much  upon  our  house  of  worship,  and 
have  done  more  than  ever  before  for  my  support.  One  incident 
in  my  calls  upon  the  people  I  must  relate.  In  one  family,  con- 
sisting of  the  parents  and  three  children,  the  children  all 
brought  their  gifts.  Then  the  mother  told  me  it  was  her 
practice  to  appropriate  the  avails  of  some  particular  labor  for  a 
definite  object  of  benevolence.  For  this  she  had  made  a  cheese 
which  she  had  sold  for  $1.  The  father  said  he  had  just  received 
returns  for  his  wool,  from  which  he  had  realized  more  than 
he  had  expected,  and  thought  he  ought  to  do  considerable.  The 
result  was  a  contribution  of  $5.75.  It  cheered  my  heart.  Let 
others  do  likewise. 


144  LIFE  OP  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

To  Mrs.  Gaylord  : 

Danville,  January  1,  1848. — I  begin  the  year  with  the 
earnest  prayer  that  we  may  be  more  entirely  consecrated  to 
God,  and  that  I  may  be  a  good  minister  of  Jesus  Christ.  This 
is  the  only  way  in  which  we  can  be  useful  to  any  extent.  The 
3rear  just  closed  has  been  full  of  blessings,  and  as  it  passed 
away  I  seemed  to  be  parting  with  a  tried  friend.  I  fear  we 
have  failed  to  exercise  that  gratitude  to  our  kind  Benefactor, 
which  was  due  for  special  help  in  temporal  matters.  With 
what  a  heavy  heart  and  distrustful  spirit  we  looked  at  our 
pecuniary  obligations.  Now  the  debt  is  reduced  to  1300,  and 
I  hold  obligations  for  more  than  that  amount.  I  wish  here  to 
record  my  testimony  to  the  great  goodness  and  kindness  of 
our  God.  If  we  ever  distrust  Him  again  I  almost  feel  that  we 
ought  to  be  stripped  of  all  we  have.  *  *  *  Mrs. 
Reading,  Mrs.  Brister's  mother,  passed  away  about  sunset  on 
Wednesday.  I  attended  her  funeral  on  Thursdajr.  Have  held 
preparatory  lecture  to-da}-,  and  finished  writing  my  New  Year's 
sermon.  The  day  has  been  devoted  by  some  of  us  to  religious 
exercises.  We  held  a  prayer  meeting  in  the  church  at  eleven, 
and  the  lecture  at  two.  I  leave  for  Davenport  on  Monday, 
and  will  be  absent  about  a  week. 

January  3. — My  expectations  yesterday  were  more  than 
realized.  The  morning  dawned  without  a  cloud,  and  the 
atmosphere  was  that  of  a  pleasant  spring  da}-.  As  I  entered 
the  sanctuary,  I  found  a  large  congregation  assembled,  to  whom 
I  endeavored  to  improve  the  occasion  for  their  good.  At  times 
the  house  was  perfectly  still.  All  our  3'oung  people  who  are 
spending  the  winter  in  Denmark,  were  over,  also  Mr.Sturges,* 
his  sister  and  two  other  young  ladies.  Hurlburt  and  Douglass 
Jaggar  came  and  stayed  all  day.  Hurlburt  attended  the 
evening  meeting.  At  the  close  of  the  forenoon  services  we 
took  up  a  collection  for  incidental  expenses.  The  amount  is 
sufficient  to  pay  all  arrearages  and  meet  expenses  for  the  re- 
mainder of  the  winter.  It  was  gratifying  to  me.  The  after- 
noon was  devoted  to  communion  services.     Almost   the  whole 


Mr.  Sturges  subsequently  went  on  a  mission  to  Micronesia. 


A    COLD    RIDE.  145 

congregation  remained.  It  was  interesting  to  see  Hiram  come  out 
from  his  former  companions  and  confess  Christ  before  them  all. 
How  my  dear  mother  would  have  enjoyed  the  scene!  I  took 
occasion  before  the  meeting  closed  to  make  some  remarks  upon 
the  duty  of  mothers  and  the  power  which  Clod  had  given  them 
over  their  children.  Several  wept  freely.  The  monthly 
concert  at  evening  was  well  attended,  and  the  contribution  for 
foreign  missions  a  good  one  for  us.  It  encourages  me  to  know 
that  H.  and  E.  W.  and  one  or  two  of  Mr.  Cady's  sons  meet 
every  Friday  evening  for  prayer  b}'  themselves.  They  seem  to 
have  a  growing  interest.  I  leave  about  noon  to-day  for 
Davenport. 

So  many  of  our  people  are  awa}^  this  winter  that  it  some- 
times seems  lonely — Mr.  Porter,  Thomas  Hurlburt,  Mr.  Snow, 
I.  Hitchcock,  Sarah  Miner,  F.  Jaggar,  Mrs.  McClung  and 
J.  H.  Wolcott. 

January  8. — As  you  are  aware,  my  journey  to  Davenport 
was  to  attend  a  meeting  of  the  trustees  of  Iowa  College.  I  left 
home  at  one  p  .  m  . ,  on  Monday ,  January  3 ,  and  rode  twenty  miles 
that  afternoon  to  Virginia  grove.  Stajred  all  night  with  my  old 
friends,  the  "Brown  f amity,"  where  I  was  most  cordially  re- 
ceived. The  mud  was  so  deep  I  had  to  go  on  horseback.  It 
turned  cold  and  froze  during  the  night,  and  in  the  morning  I 
rode  on  over  a  rough  road  toward  Bloomington,  which  I  reached 
about  sunset.  Stayed  with  Bro.  Bobbins  over  night,  and  the 
next  day  had  a  cold  ride  to  Davenport.  Found  Brothers  Reed 
and  Adams  well.  As  not  enough  of  the  trustees  came  together  to 
make  a  quorum,  we  transacted  no  business,  but  adjourned  to 
meet  in  the  same  place  on  the  16th  of  March.  The  college 
building  we  are  erecting  will  be  a  very  substantial  one,  and  will 
look  well.  It  is  36  by  55  feet.  We  are  anxious  to  have  it  com- 
pleted and  ready  for  occupancy  by  October  or  November  next. 
If  we  had  the  requisite  funds  we  might  soon  make  this  institu- 
tion a  center  of  influence.  I  promised  to  send  up  $10  toward 
meeting  present  emergencies.  The  obligations  of  benevolence 
expand  in  importance  daily.  Have  come  back  to  Bloomington, 
and  am  now  writing  in  Bro.  Robbins'  study.     As  I  cannot  get 

11 


146  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

home  by  Saturday  night,  shall  stay  over  till  Monda}'.  But  I 
have  a  strong  desire  to  be  at  home  and  put  forth  new  efforts  for 
the  salvation  of  my  people. 

Danville,  January  20,  1848. — My  trip  to  Davenport  was  a 
tiresome  one.  I  spent  the  Sabbath  at  Bloomington,  and 
preached  for  Bro.  Bobbins.  The  day  was  cold  and  blustering. 
Left  B.  in  the  morning  and  rode  to  the  Iowa  river  against  a 
most  severe  south  wind.  The  river,  which  I  crossed  in  a  boat 
in  going  up,  was  closed,  and  in  attempting  to  cross  on  the  ice 
my  horse  went  through  and  stood  on  the  bottom  in  nearl}-  three 
feet  of  water.  She  immediately  raised  herself  on  to  the  ice, 
which  broke  a  few  times,  but  contrary  to  my  expectations  she 
finally  came  out  on  the  same  side  I  entered  without  injury.  I 
was  compelled  to  go  back  two  miles  to  find  a  place  to  stay  over 
night.  The  horse,  saddle,  and  myself  began  to  have  an  uncom- 
fortable coating  of  ice,  but  a  lively  gallop  over  the  two  miles 
warmed  us  a  little.  Thus  again  I  have  occasion  to  adore  the 
goodness  of  God.  The  next  day  I  crossed  the  river  safely 
at  another  point,  and  came  down  and  spent  the  night  with 
George  D.  He  has  relinquished  his  hope  of  heaven,  and  seems 
indifferent  and  somewhat  skeptical.  I  tried  to  be  faithful  with 
him.     Came  on  to  Mt.  Pleasant,  but  did  not  tarry. 

Reached  home  on  Wednesday  and  found  that  some  changes 
had  taken  place  in  my  absence.  Death  had  invaded  our  people, 
and  I  found  two  families  clad  in  the  habiliments  of  mourning. 
On  Wednesday  morning,  January  5,  as  Mrs.  Luther  Jaggar 
went  up  stairs,  she  was  shocked  to  find  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
Burnham,  lying  dead.  She  had  left  her  but  an  hour  before 
sleeping  quietly  and,  apparently,  as  well  as  usual.  The  family 
seem  to  feel  it  deepl}*.  Mrs.  Jaggar  spoke  with  so  much  feel- 
ing of  my  being  away  at  the  time  and  of  your  absence, 
that  it  touched  a  tender  chord  in  my  heart.  Mr.  Burnham 
stayed  over  the  following  Sabbath  and  preached  for  our  people. 
He  remained  till  the  next  Thursday  evening,  and  I  spent 
Wednesday  night  with  the  family.  Bro.  Salter  attended  the 
funeral.  Last  week  a  son  of  Jonathan  Roberts,  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  died.     Lewis  Hannah's  wife  has  been  at  death's 


PREPARING   TO    GO   EAST.  147 

dark  door  with  winter  fever,  but  is  a  little  better.  I  have 
visited  her  twice.  Have  suffered  from  a  severe  cold  taken  on 
my  journey,  and  still  feel  the  effects  of  it.  There  is  no  par- 
ticular interest  among  us  at  this  time.  Oh,  that  dreadful 
stupidity;  how  it  palsies  our  hearts!  The  devil  works  while  we 
sleep . 

I  alwa}rs  feel  when  writing  that  the  sheet  is  not  half  large 
enough,  and  when  I  have  finished  reading  your  letters,  there  is 
a  longing  for  more  that  can  hardly  be  satisfied.  I  have  never 
longed  for  your  society  so  much  as  for  a  few  days  past.  Oh, 
when  will  the  hour  arrive  when  we  shall  see  each  other  again? 
"God  speed  the  day!"  And  yet  shall  we  wish  our  precious 
time  to  fly  ?  God  grant  that  we  may  improve  it  to  His  glory! 
The  Lord  ever  be  with  you  and  give  you  peace  and  con- 
stant joy. 

Danville,  Ia.,  February  4,  1848. — I  have  finally  decided  to 
make  the  necessary  sacrifice  and  go  east  in  the  spring.  The 
chief  difficulties  in  the  way  were  my  unwillingness  to  be  in 
debt,  and  to  jeopardize  the  interests  of  our  people  by  my 
absence.  After  giving  the  subject  a  very  serious  consideration, 
I  called  at  Mr.  Booth's,  Mr.  Jaggar's  and  Dr.  Hall's,  also  on 
Mr.  Hitchcock's  and  Mr.  Miner's  people  and  some  others.  I 
was  much  pleased  with  the  expression  of  kind  feeling  which  I 
met  every  where;  for  while  they  are  sorry  to  have  me  absent  y 
they  are  willing  to  forego  their  privileges  for  a  time  to  gratify 
us.  My  arrangements  are  such  that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  leave 
until  some  time  in  April.  H.  will  remain  at  Mr.  Porter's.  I 
have  to-day  sold  my  place  to  Mr.  Matthews,  a  New  England 
man,  born  in  New  Hartford. 

February  16.  —  This  is  Wednesday  afternoon,  and  early 
to-morrow  morning  I  go  to  Denmark  to  assist  in  a  protracted 
meeting.  Mrs.  Miner  goes  over  with  me.  How  truly  our  let- 
ters, written  at  various  times,  show  the  lights  and  shadows  of 
every  day  life!  When  I  wrote  the  1st  of  January  I  was  greatly 
encouraged.  My  mind  was  in  a  cheerful  state  and  my  health 
good .  But  I  have  not  been  well  since  that  cold  and  tedious  ride 
to  Davenport.     Am  weary  and  nervous,  and  suffer  constantly 


148  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYL0RD. 

from  nervous  debilit}'.  I  sleep  but  little  nights,  and  anything 
of  an  exciting  character  unnerves  me;  but  think  I  am  a  little 
better.  It  is  my  intention  to  leave  home  the  6th  of  April,  and 
spend  the  Sabbath  in  St.  Louis  with  my  old  friend,  Prof.  Post, 
of  Jacksonville,  now  settled  there.  The  next  Sabbath  I  shall 
probably  be  with  Mrs.  Porter's  friends  in  Cincinnati.  I  have  a 
strong  desire  to  visit  Washington  city  on  my  way .  Should  there 
be  time  before  attending  the  May  anniversaries  in  New  York,  I 
shall  go  to  Norfolk  and  visit  my  dear  mother  and  other  friends. 
Shall  wish  to  tarry  a  few  days  in  New  Haven,  attend  the  meet- 
ings of  associations  in  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut,  spend  a 
week  or  two  in  Boston,  Andover  and  Amherst,  and  be  ready  to 
return  sometime  in  July.  I  wish  to  make  the  trip  as  profitable 
intellectually,  spiritually  and  physically  as  possible.  How  I 
wish  we  could  procure  a  communion  set  and  lamps  for  our 
church!  I  expect  Bro.  Waters  to  preach  for  me  half  the  time 
in  my  absence. 

Danville,  March  2,  1848. — I  spent  four  days  at  Denmark 
and  preached  eight  times.  It  rained  two  of  the  four  days  and 
the  frost  all  came  out  of  the  ground.  This  operated  against 
the  meeting.  It  was  quite  interesting,  but  no  decided  conver- 
sions had  occurred  when  I  left.  There  has  been  deep  interest  at 
Farmington  and  a  revival  at  Burlington.  Spent  last  Sabbath  at 
Brighton  in  exchange  with  Bro.  Burnham  at  his  urgent  request. 
To-morrow  we  have  our  preparatory  lecture,  and  the  church  are 
to  choose  a  deacon  in  the  place  of  Dr.  Hall.  His  profession 
interrupts  him  so  much  that  he  feels  he  ought  to  resign.  The 
choice  will  fall,  I  think,  upon  Mr.  Booth,  with  great  unanimity. 
Mrs.  Hall's  niece,  Miss  Thompson,  is  coming  out  this  spring, 
the  wife  of  a  Galena  merchant.  Miss  Corning  is  recovering 
from  her  long  illness.  Mrs.  Pinto  will  unite  with  the  church 
to-morrow.  Our  people  have  a  literary  club  which  meets  once 
in  two  weeks,  and  there  is  also  a  debate  at  the  school-house 
every  Saturday  night.  The  question  as  to  the  propriety  of  our 
farmers'  selling  their  grain  to  the  distillers  has  been  argued  in 
our  temperance  society. 

We   have   started  a  movement  for   a   select   school  at  the 


A    TRIAL    OF    PATIENCE.  149 

Center,  and  propose  to  erect  a  neat  building,  into  which  we 
wish  to  put  a  female  teacher  of  the  best  qualifications.  The 
movement  originated  with  four  of  us,  three  besides  nryself ,  and 
there  seems  to  be  so  much  unanimity,  such  a  readiness  to  take 
hold  of  the  work,  that  I  regard  it  as  the  leadings  of  a  kind 
Providence.  In  two  weeks  I  go  to  Davenport  again  to  attend 
a  meeting  of  the  trustees  of  Iowa  College,  and  hope  there  will 
not  be  another  failure. 

April  3. — Mrs.  R.  wishes  to  go  east  with  me,  and  I  shall 
send  her  word  to-morrow  when  to  meet  me  in  Burlington.  She 
will  take  her  children  with  her.  Mrs.  Hall  has  been  very  sick, 
but  I  trust  is  now  out  of  danger.  Mr.  John  Hitchcock's  little 
son  died  a  month  since.     It  was  a  great  affliction  to  them. 

Burlixgtox,  Iowa,  April  15,  1848. — I  expected  at  this  hour 
to  be  in  or  near  St .  Louis .  Sent  word  to  Bro .  R .  to  have  his 
family  here  on  Thursday,  and  accordingly  came  down  on 
Wednesday  to  be  in  readiness.  I  stretched  my  eyes,  and  I  fear 
my  patience  too,  looking  for  a  boat,  yet  none  came  till  this 
morning.  And  as  there  was  no  probability  of  getting  much 
below  the  rapids  before  Sunday,  Mrs.  R.  and  suite  concluded  to 
wait  until  Monday.  I  am  trying  to  bear  with  fortitude  the 
severe  disappointment  caused  by  this  delay.  I  shall  start  about 
the  same  time  with  this  letter,  and  expect  to  give  it  a  good 
chase.  The  day  after  I  came  down  there  was  a  celebration  here 
by  the  Sons  of  Temperance.  There  were  four  hundred  in  the 
procession  and  they  made  a  fine  appearance.  An  address  was 
delivered  by  Mr.  Grimes.  1  shall  spend  the  Sabbath  with  Bro. 
Salter.  I  called  on  all  my  congregation  in  Danville  the  days 
before  I  left  home,  and  as  I  gave  them  the  parting  hand  saw 
not  a  few  turn  away  with  tears  in  their  eyes.  Sabbath  evening 
at  the  prayer  meeting  the  brethren  offered  fervent  supplications 
for  my  protection  on  the  journey,  and  for  my  safe  return,  and 
that  I  may  long  live  to  be  a  blessing  to  my  people.  My  an- 
ticipated absence  is  already  showing  me  more  fully  than  ever 
before  the  strength  of  attachment  which  I  feel  for  them. 


150  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

Mr.  Gaylord's  eastern  visit  at  this  time  was  productive 
of  much  pleasure  and  profit  to  himself  and  many  others. 
The  May  anniversaries  in  New  York,  his  visits  at  the  Home 
Missionary  Rooms  and  to  his  Alma  Mater  at  New  Haven, 
were  sources  of  heartfelt  enjoyment.  And  his  social  and 
affectionate  nature  found  rich  satisfaction  in  the  com- 
panionship of  his  beloved  mother  and  other  friends  in  Nor- 
folk, his  native  town,  and  in  mingling  with  newer  friends 
in  Newington  and  Hartford.  Some  of  these  still  refer  with 
much  pleasure  to  that  visit  in  the  summer  of  1848.  But 
wherever  he  went  the  interests  of  his  adopted  state  and  of 
the  great  west  were  made  paramount  to  all  others,  and  their 
needs  and  attractions  presented  in  a  manner  to  convey 
much  useful  information.  The  knowledge  thus  imparted 
was  the  more  valuable  because  it  carried  with  it  the  weight 
of  his  own  personal  observation  and  experience. 

The  following  lines  were  composed  by  one  of  the  young 
ladies  of  his  church  on  the  occasion  of  his  return : 

Friend  and  Pastor,  all  the  greeting 
Hearts  in  union  can  express, 
We  would  offer,  while  entreating 
That  our  Father  thee  may  bless 

In  thy  labor, 
May  He  be  thy  strength  and  shield, 

In  thy  reaping ; 
May  He  life  and  glory  yield. 

Brother,  Teacher,  Friend  and  Pastor, 
Thee  again  we  welcome  here, 
Servant  of  our  chosen  Master, 
Thou  to  us  art  ever  dear. 

Gladly  welcome, 
While  we  breathe  the  warmest  prayer, 

That  our  Father 
Now  will  keep  thee  in  His  care. 

From  quarterly  report: 

Danville,  October  17,  1848. — I  am  truly  grateful  that  my 
commission  from  the  Executive  Committee  covers  the  time  of 
my  absence  of  more  than  three  and  one-half  months  from  my 


SELECT    SCHOOL    AT    DANVILLE.  151 

usual  work.  At  this  time  I  can  speak  of  the  mercy  and  good- 
ness which  preserved  myself  and  family,  and  permitted  us  again 
to  resume  our  labors  among  this  people.  AVe  reached  home  the 
10th  of  August  in  good  health,  and  the  next  Sabbath  I  found 
a  large  congregation  assembled  to  hear  the  word  from  my  lips. 
From  that  time  to  the  present  I  have  preached  regularly  with- 
out interruption. 

During  my  absence  a  very  neat  and  pleasant  school-house 
has  been  built  near  our  church  for  a  select  school.  It  was  pro- 
jected before  I  left  for  the  east,  and  was  nearly  finished  on  my 
return.  I  obtained  a  teacher,  Miss  AVakefield,  from  the  Ladies' 
Society  in  Boston,  who  came  out  with  us.  She  commenced 
school  in  September  with  good  prospects,  and  seems  well  fitted 
for  her  position .  There  is  a  very  commendable  degree  of  interest 
among  the  people  on  the  subject  of  education.  The  greatest 
difficulty  in  the  way  is  the  scarcity  of  monej^,  and  this  operates 
as  a  hindrance  and  discouragement  to  every  undertaking.  Owing 
to  the  rapids  in  the  river  above  Keokuk,  there  is  a  difference  in 
the  price  of  a  bushel  of  wheat  of  twenty-five  or  thirty  cents 
between  Burlington  and  Chicago.  This  will  be  obviated  when- 
ever we  have  an  outlet  to  the  lakes  by  a  railroad  from  the  east 
to  the  Mississippi.  I  was  much  benefitted  by  my  journey  and 
the  relaxation  from  care  and  labor  for  a  season. 

After  a  few  years  of  successful  teaching,  Miss  Wakefield 
was  married  to  Rev.  Mr.  Blakeslee,  and  went  with  him  to 
California.  Her  help  and  influence  were  much  valued  by 
the  Ladies'  Missionary  Societies  in  the  city  which  was  her 
adopted  home.  She  passed  away  in  1881,  leaving  a  husband 
and  two  daughters  to  mourn  her  loss. 

Miss  Wilson  of  New  Ipswich,  New  Hampshire,  a  sister 
of  Mrs.  Taylor  of  Denmark,  wTas  obtained  to  fill  her  place 
in  the  school.  This  lady  possessed  in  an  eminent  degree 
those  qualifications  needful  for  such  a  position.  She  was 
thoroughly  competent  and  efficient  as  a  teacher,  and  as  a 
devoted  and  active  Christian  lady  was  an  invaluable  aid  to 
the  church  and  pastor. 


152  LIFE   OP   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

To  the  Society : 

January  25,  1849. — How  rapidly  time  wings  its  wa}r,  show- 
ing us  that  we  may  soon  be  borne  on  its  flowing  tide  from  the 
scenes  of  earth!  Our  church  has  sustained  a  severe  loss  during 
the  last  week  in  the  death  of  Mr.  L.  Jaggar,  who  was  its  oldest 
member.  He  was  sixty-five  }-ears  of  age,  has  been  a  constant 
attendant  on  the  varied  means  of  grace,  and  a  generous  supporter 
of  the  gospel.  Thus  far,  the  winter  has  been  the  most  severe 
of  any  I  have  ever  experienced  in  the  west.  Yet  the  regular 
ministrations  of  the  word  have  not  been  interrupted  and  we 
have  had  meetings  every  Sabbath.  I  have  been  looking  anxiously 
for  my  draft  for  the  quarter  ending  October  16.  Am  sorry  to 
learn  that  you  are  out  of  funds.  My  store  bills  have  accumu- 
lated for  things  needful,  and  all  I  have  to  pay  them  with  is 
promises . 

February  28. — Present  number  of  members  in  the  church 
fifty.  Contributions  to  the  Home  Missionary  Society  during 
the  year,  $50;  Bible  Society  in  all,  $25;  foreign  missions,  $17; 
American  Moral  Reform,  $15. 

May  7. — Spring  has  again  opened  upon  us,  and  our  con- 
gregation is  filling  up.  Our  church  and  society  are  making 
vigorous  efforts  to  pay  off  a  debt  incurred  in  building  our  meet- 
ing house.  I  long  to  have  this  little  band  strong  enough  to 
sustain  the  gospel  without  aid  from  others,  and  to  see  this 
beautiful  prairie  given  to  Christ. 

July  25. — I  acknowledge  with  gratitude  the  renewal  of  my 
commission,  and  I  desire  so  to  labor  as  to  fulfill  the  obligations 
of  a  higher  commission  than  that  which  cometh  from  man.  I 
have  endeavored  to  preach  the  word  in  the  sanctuary,  in  the 
circle  of  prayer,  from  house  to  house  and  b}'  the  sick  bed. 

Warren,  Iowa,  January  8,  1850. — My  Dear  Wife:  I  have 
been  very  busy  since  I  came  here,  and  yet  am  at  a  loss  to  know 
whether  I  am  doing  much  good.  There  seems  to  be  an  unusual 
degree  of  solemnity  in  the  whole  of  Bro.  Nichols'  field.  I  hope 
at  least  to  break  up  some  of  the  fallow  ground  and  cast  in  the 


REVIVAL    WORK.  153 

seed.  This  is  a  community  in  which  there  must  be  a  great  deal 
of  preparatory  work  before  the  fruits  will  fully  appear.  Satur- 
day afternoon  we  had  a  sacramental  lecture,  and  Sunday  fore- 
noon preaching  and  communion.  It  was  a  deeply  interesting 
occasion.  It  did  me  good  to  speak  words  of  encouragement  to 
the  little  church,  and  to  hold  up  a  brother's  hands.  Sunday 
evening  we  went  to  the  other  settlement,  and  I  preached  to  a 
crowded  house  of  attentive  listeners.  Mr.  S.  Millard  invited 
me  to  go  home  with  him.  His  mind  is  much  interested  and  I 
pressed  him  to  a  decision.  I  feel  my  own  unworthiness  more 
than  ever,  and  if  God  does  anything  through  me,  surely  He 
will  have  all  the  glory.  I  went  over  to  Farmington  yesterday 
and  got  some  copies  of  "The  Catechism  Tested  by  the  Bible" 
of  Bro.  Adams.     I  hope  the  Lord  will  visit  my  dear  people. 

Danville,  January  16,  1850. — During  the  last  quarter  I 
have  preached  once  in  four  weeks  on  Sabbath  evening  at 
Augusta,  a  little  town  seven  miles  from  Danville.  It  has  been 
a  very  wicked  place.  They  have  recently  started  a  division  of 
the  Sons  of  Temperance,  and  most  of  the  men  have  joined.  I 
think  there  is  some  hope  for  the  place. 

April  16. — This  has  been  a  quarter  of  more  religious  inter- 
est than  we  have  experienced  for  a  long  time.  The  minds  of 
some  became  interested  to  seek  salvation,  and  two  or  three 
expressed  a  decided  hope  of  an  interest  in  Christ  previous  to  my 
March  report.  Since  that  time  we  have  held  meetings  for 
nearly  two  weeks,  having  preaching  evenings  and  a  prayer- 
meeting  in  the  afternoon .  I  was  assisted  in  these  meetings  by 
Rev.  Harvey  Adams,  of  Farmington.  His  preaching  was  a 
most  plain  and  forcible  exhibition  of  great  Bible  truths.  There 
was  no  effort  to  stir  the  passions ,  or  in  any  way  to  produce  undue 
excitement.  Some  eight  or  ten  in  all,  are  thought  to  have 
passed  from  death  unto  life. 

July  24 . — You  have  seen  notices  of  our  meeting  of  General 
Association  at  Dubuque.  I  have  seldom  attended  one  of  the 
kind  so  full  of  interest.  It  was  worth  a  year  of  toil  to  be  per- 
mitted to  go  up  to  Jerusalem  and  attend  such  a  feast. 


154  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

Mr.  Gaylord  greatly  prized  these  annual  convocations 
of  his  Congregational  brethren.  They  were  not  strictly  a 
rest,  but  a  change  from  working  alone  to  working  and 
planning  together  for  the  great  cause.  The  interchange  of 
thought,  the  contact  of  mind  with  mind  and  heart  with 
heart  did  give  some  rest  to  the  weary  spirit.  Then  the 
reports  from  the  various  fields — the  mutual  consultations 
and  prayers  were  always  stimulating  and  helpful,  and  the 
cheering  words  spoken,  the  knowledge  that  others  exper- 
ienced similar  trials  with  themselves,  inspired  patience  and 
with  it  courage  and  hope.  Mr.  Gaylord  often  returned 
from  these  gatherings  with  a  stronger  faith,  and  fresh  zeal 
to  gird  on  the  armor  anew  and  never  again  yield  to 
weariness  or  discouragement  in  his  work.' 

Danville,  August  24,  1850.  —  Obloqiry,  cast  upon  the 
church  or  any  of  its  members,  does  not  seem  to  move  it  except 
to  more  prayer  and  greater  watchfulness,  and  I  have  never  felt 
a  stronger  confidence  that  God  would  appear  for  Zion  than  I  do 
now. 

Octobek  16. — A  Baptist  church  has  been  built  near  oui-s,  so 
that  at  present  our  congregation  is  somewhat  reduced.  A 
plank  road  is  being  built  directly  through  our  place. 

Danville,  March  3,  1851 . — I  regard  the  church  as  in  a  better 
state  of  religious  prosperity  than  it  has  been,  and  the  prospect 
before  us  brighter .  Early  in  February  I  proposed  to  the  breth- 
ren to  commence  a  protracted  prayer-meeting.  They  approved 
of  the  suggestion  and  we  held  meetings  every  evening  for  one 
week.  There  was  one  decided  case  of  conversion  and  others 
became  interested.  Rev.  Asa  Turner  came  and  assisted  me  for 
ten  days.  A  few  came  out  on  the  Lord's  side  among  the  adults, 
and  of  quite  a  number  of  the  children  we  have  considerable 
hope .  I  have  formed  a  class ,  which  I  meet  weekly  for  religious 
instruction . 

July,  1851. — Of  five  that  go  from  here  to  Oregon,  four 
made  a   profession    of   religion    in    this  church,   and   they   go 


ADDITIONS   TO   THE    CHURCH.  155 

determined  to  plant  the  standard  of  the  cross  where  they  make 
a  final  settlement.  At  first  I  felt  sad  that  any  should  leave  this 
feeble  band.  But  I  now  feel  that  the  hand  of  God  is  in  it,  and 
that  our  farewell  meeting  with  them  may  be  the  means  of  laying 
the  foundation  of  a  true  Christian  church  in  that  new  country . 
Many  prayers  were  offered  up  in  their  behalf,  and  they  left  for 
Oregon  in  a  most  delightful  state  of  religious  feeling. 

Danville,  March,  1852. — During  the  winter  there  seemed 
to  be  a  growing  spirituality  in  the  church.  Prayer-meetings 
were  attended  with  interest,  and  I  felt  that  we  ought  to  make 
some  special  effort  for  the  salvation  of  the  people.  I  made  two 
ineffectual  attempts  to  get  a  brother  to  assist  me.  In  the  mean- 
time a  Baptist  brother  came  unexpectedly  to  labor  with  the 
Baptist  church,  and  they  extended  a  cordial  invitation  to  me 
and  my  people  to  come  in  with  them  and  hold  a  union  meeting. 
Our  brethren  were  ripe  for  the  work  and  we  accepted  the  invi- 
tation. The  meeting  continued  for  three  weeks,  and  was  one 
of  great  interest.  The  results  thus  far  are  good  and  good  only. 
Some  of  the  converts  have  united  with  us,  some  with  the  Bap- 
tists, and  some  with  the  Methodists.  The  best  feeling  continues 
between  the  churches.  Yesterday,  with  us,  was  a  day  of  great 
interest.  Nine  came  forward  and  entered  into  covenant  with 
this  church.  There  are  others  who,  we  trust,  will  soon  profess 
Christ  with  us,  and  four  will  unite  by  letter. 

January,  1853. — We  have  in  this  place  at  present  a  large 
class  of  youth  from  the  age  of  fifteen  to  twenty-one,  who  have 
not  received  the  benefit  of  a  religious  education,  but  who  are  in 
the  habit  of  attending  meeting  somewhere  almost  constantly. 
They  are  influenced  partly  by  the  love  of  novelty,  and  will  go 
to  hear  any  new  preacher.  The}*-  frequently  attend  with  us  in 
the  morning,  and  quite  regularly  at  night.  "We  hope  to  do  them 
good.  I  feel  that  now  is  the  seed  time  for  them,  and  trust  that 
some  precious  fruit  will  yet  be  gathered  from  amongst  their 
number. 

Note  from  the  editor  of  Home  Missionary :  "How  suggestive 
to  a  benevolent  mind  is  this  short  communication!     There  is 


156  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

hope  for  the  young,  even  from  the  vivacity  and  curiosity 
natural  to  their  period  of  life.  The  Sabbath  and  the  Christian 
assembly  have  an  interest  to  their  minds  through  the  intellectual 
and  social  excitement  they  awaken,  if  for  nothing  more.  How 
important  that  the  home  missionary  at  the  west  should  be  able 
to  gather  the  young  of  every  class  into  his  congregation,  and 
offer  to  them  instructions  which  will  profitably  gain  their  atten- 
tion!    How  important  everywhere!  " 

Farmington,  Iowa,  February  18,  1853. — My  Dear  Wife:  I 
reached  here  about  dusk  after  a  rough  and  fatiguing  ride  over 
very  bad  roads.  I  did  not  stop  more  than  twenty  minutes,  and 
hurried  all  the  way.  Bro.  Turner  went  home  on  Monday,  but  I 
found  Rev .  Mr .  Holt  here  from  Montrose .  He  preached  that  night , 
for  which  I  was  very  thankful.  Next  day  I  had  a  headache, 
but  preached  that  evening  and  again  last  evening.  I  can  hardly 
tell  you  what  is  the  state  of  things  here.  There  has  been 
trouble  in  the  church,  which  causes  a  part  of  the  members  to 
stand  aloof  from  the  work,  and  yet  God  has  come  and  converted 
souls.  Bro.  Adams  thinks  the  interest  seems  to  be  spreading 
and  growing  deeper.  New  cases  have  manifested  themselves 
since  I  came.  I  feel  that  if  anything  is  to  be  done  for  the 
salvation  of  this  people,  it  will  not  do  to  relax  effort  now.  I 
do  hope  the  Lord  will  make  me  useful  here.  Tell  Ralph  papa 
thinks  about  him  and  wants  to  see  him  and  hear  his  little 
musical  voice,  and  tell  the  little  girls  that  father  wants  them  to 
think  much  about  Jesus  Christ.  May  the  Lord  keep  you  and 
ours,  and  use  all  for  His  glory. 

Farmingtox,  February  22. — I  had  expected  to  go  home  by 
this  time,  but  the  brethren  and  Bro.  Adams  think  they  cannot 
spare  me  at  present.  The  work  seems  to  be  going  forward 
gradually.  Bro.  A.  thinks  there  is  as  much  interest  now  as 
at  any  time.  We  conversed  yesterday  with  some  who  seem  on 
the  verge  of  the  kingdom  or  have  just  entered.  One  of  these 
has  been  profane  and  a  Sabbath-breaker.  He  has  had  deep  and 
pungent  convictions,  and  seems  truly  humble.  There  are  other 
interesting  cases.  I  have  preached  seven  times  since  I  came.  I 
selected  my  sermon  on  The  Judgment  for  Sabbath  morning.    A 


AN    ANSWER    TO    PRAYER.  157 

solemn  stillness  pervaded  the  assembly,  and  numbers  wept  pro- 
fusely. AVhen  the  congregation  was  dismissed  they  left  the 
house  as  if  feeling  that  God  was  there.  *  *  *  I  feel  my 
weakness  and  unfitness  for  the  work,  but  trust  the  Lord  is, 
notwithstanding,  owning  my  labors  for  good.  Oh,  for  true 
humility  and  lowliness  of  mind!  I  know  I  am  remembered 
daily  by  you  at  the  mercy  seat.  I  am  surely  needed  at  home, 
but  believe  you  will  be  taken  care  of.  Trust  in  the  Lord — 
confide  wholly  in  Him  and  all  shall  be  well. 

In  April,  1853,  Mr.  Gaylord  writes: 

You  will  remember  that  several  members  of  this  church  left 
us  last  3rear  for  Oregon  and  California.  As  they  were  about  to 
leave  we  had  a  very  interesting  farewell  meeting.  We  then 
commended  them  to  God  and  His  protecting  care,  and  promised 
not  to  forget  them.  Often  since  that  time  have  we  remembered 
them  when  worshiping  together,  praying  that  God  would  be 
around  about  them  a  wall  of  defense  by  night  and  by  daj^.  We 
are  now  permitted  to  record  the  faithfulness  of  the  Hearer  of 
Prayer.  There  was  great  mortality  among  the  overland  emi- 
grants, and  sickness  and  suffering  enough  to  make  the  strongest 
tremble.  Yet  all  who  were  the  special  subjects  of  our  prayers 
were  carried  safely  through,  with  but  little  sickness  and  no 
death,  although  in  one  family  there  were  five  children  from  two 
to  twelve  years  of  age.  Other  families  who  were  not  members 
of  the  church  and  did  not  come  into  this  circle  of  prayer  were 
greatly  afflicted.  From  one,  death  removed  a  father  and  child — 
from  another,  a  mother  and  two  children.  Surely  God  does 
hear  his  people  when  the}r  call  upon  Him.  We  hope  the  influ- 
ence of  this  church  will  }^et  be  felt  in  the  extreme  west. 

In  a  sermon  of  Mr.  Gay  lord's,  delivered  at  an  association 
in  Denmark  in  1853,  he  shows  the  very  encouraging  growth 
of  Congregationalism  in  Iowa  by  a  backward  glance  over 
the  years  of  his  ministry.     He  says  : 

One  great  obstacle  which  we  encountered  at  first  was  ignor- 
ance on  the  part  of  the   people  of  our   faith  and  polity.     We 


158  LIFE   OF   REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

were  liable  to  be  misrepresented,  because  our  views  and  practice 
were  not  understood.  Our  system  was  then  new  in  the  west, 
and  there  was  a  doubt  in  the  minds  of  those  who  loved  it,  as  to 
whether  on  the  whole  it  was  best  to  insist  upon  it  here.  Another 
obstacle  was  in  the  religious  habits  of  the  people.  Their  love 
of  excitement  was  opposed  to  a  permanent  ministry,  and  the 
fixed  uniform  custom  of  ordinary  Sabbath  worship,  by  which 
the  most  valuable  traits  of  character  are  wrought  into  the  man. 
But  time  and  the  power  of  example  have  helped  the  think- 
ing and  considerate  to  a  better  way — even  the  good  old  paths. 
Our  principles  have  also  made  themselves  known  and  difficul- 
ties have  been  overcome  by  educating  a  generation  under  their 
influence. 

As  a  denomination  we  have  not  been  without  evident 
tokens  of  God's  blessing.  Our  meetings  of  association  have 
ever  been  of  a  harmonious  and  deeply  interesting  character. 
Nothing  has  occurred  to  mar  the  peace  or  cool  the  love  of  the 
brethren.  While  we  have  thought  freely,  and  spoken  as  freely 
as  we  have  thought,  there  has  been  before  us  one  great  object, 
and  to  that  we  have  given  our  efforts  and  our  best  energies. 
We  felt  that  we  were  occupying  a  position  of  no  small 
importance  at  the  fountain-head  of  influence  for  what  was  to  be 
a  great  and  prosperous  state,  and  were  one  of  the  elements  that 
must  be  felt  in  marking  out  its  future  character.  The  favor 
of  God  has  also  been  shown  in  preserving  the  lives  and  health  of 
our  ministers.  Since  1838  but  two  have  fallen  by  death  while 
connected  with  us.  But  let  us  remember  that  best  of  all, 
through  the  divine  favor  the  gospel  has  made  its  way  where 
error  had  planted  itself  to  bid  defiance  to  the  truth.  Mormon- 
ism,  though  still  alive  and  flourishing,  has  left  this  fertile 
valley,  and  settled  down  in  the  wilderness  beyond  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  while  the  gray-headed  blasphemer  lived  to  see  a 
Christian  church,  vigorous  and  flourishing,  established  in  his 
immediate  vicinit}-,  and  his  own  private  schemes  overshadowed 
by  an  influence  stronger  than  they.  That  brother  was  right 
who  said,  "Congregationalism  is  the  rising  wave."  The 
leaven  has  been  working  in  other  denominations,  and  will  work 


A    YOUNG   MISSIONARY.  159 

still  more  by  its  own  inherent  worth.  A  bright  day  is  dawn- 
ing. Our  principles  will  stand  the  Bible  test,  "By  their  fruits  ye 
shall  know  them."  And  in  laboring  for  Christ's  cause  in  con- 
nection with  our  polity,  we  feel  assured  that  we  are  laboring 
for  God,  and  that  we  may  rest  fully  upon  him  for  guidance  and 
direction. 

Let  us  stop  a  moment  on  the  mount  of  observation,  and 
look  at  our  present  position.  "We  have  now  between  forty  and 
fifty  ministers  in  active  service,  and  fifty-two  churches  asso- 
ciated, with  several  others  not  connected  with  our  ecclesiastical 
bodies.  "We  have  an  institution  of  learning  in  successful  oper- 
ation, with  several  academies  and  schools  of  a  higher  order. 
Connected  with  these  churches  are  between  1,800  and  1,900 
members,  many  of  whom  are  laboring  with  true  Christian 
devotion  to  bring  this  land  under  the  power  of  the  gospel. 

August  1,  1853. — During  the  past  three  months  our  hearts 
have  been  made  glad  by  witnessing  the  self-denial  and  devotion 
to  the  service  of  Christ  of  a  youthful  member  of  this  flock. 
One  who  was  trained  here,  converted  here,  and  here  gave  herself 
away  in  covenant  to  God  and  with  His  people,  has  left  us  for  a 
mission  among  the  Ojibway  Indians.  She  was  a  young  lady  of 
devoted  piety ,  and  sometime  since  gave  herself  to  the  missionary 
work.  On  the  last  Sabbath  in  May,  we  bade  her  and  her  hus- 
band farewell,  and  commended  them  to  the  protection  and 
blessing  of  the  God  of  missions. 

Miss  Miner,  the  young  lady  here  referred  to,  had  studied 
in  Oberlin,  and  went  with  her  husband  to  Cass  Lake,  near 
the  head  waters  of  the  Mississippi,  where  this  tribe  was 
located.  Her  talents  were  of  a  high  order,  and  were  faith- 
fully used  during  a  life  of  constant  cross-bearing  and  self- 
denial  for  the  cause  of  Christ.  After  a  lingering  illness 
she  died  in  York,  Nebraska,  in  the  summer  of  1880,  leaving 
behind  her  the  fragrance  of  a  lovely  and  useful  Christian 
life. 

Hilxsboro,  September  23. — Mr  Dear  Wife:  I  reached  here 
Tuesday  evening,  a  little  before  six,  and  found  the  people  glad 


160  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

to  see  me.  I  was  very  much  chilled,  and  did  not  get  warm  till 
next  day.  *  *  *  *  It  is  pleasant  to  labor  in  the  cause 
of  my  Master.  The  people  turn  out  well  and  listen  with  fixed 
attention.  Last  night  there  was  an  appointment  for  Mr.  Shinn 
to  preach.  Some  thought  best  to  give  up  our  meeting  and  go 
and  meet  with  them.  We  carried  the  whole  matter  before  the 
Lord  and  asked  him  to  direct  us.  Yesterday  it  was  decided  to 
go  on  with  our  meeting,  and  to  send  an  invitation  to  Mr.  Shinn 
to  come  and  preach,  but  he  did  not  come.  We  had  a  full  house, 
more  than  on  any  other  evening,  and  I  spoke  to  a  congregation 
of  wicked  men,  who  listened  with  great  apparent  interest.  We 
are  in  Satan's  seat,  but  we  feel  that  the  Lord  is  here.  We  are 
in  His  hands  and  it  may  yet  be  seen  "that  our  labor  is  not  in 
vain."  I  never  felt  a  deeper  interest  or  less  anxiety,  and  enjoy 
a  good  degree  of  the  Divine  Presence.  Pray  for  me  that  I  may 
do  God's  work,  not  mine.  Tell  the  dear  children  I  love  them 
and  desire  their  salvation.  Shall  we  meet,  an  unbroken  family 
in  heaven  ? 

To  the  Society: 

Danville,  October,  1853. — After  preaching  twice  at  home, 
I  have  once  in  two  or  three  weeks  held  a  third  service  ten  miles 
north.  It  is  new  ground  and  I  am  endeavoring  to  break  it  up 
so  as  to  cast  in  the  good  seed  of  the  kingdom.  Was  solicited  to 
preach  at  two  other  places  in  the  vicinit}*,  and  left  an  appoint- 
ment for  one  of  them.  Two  weeks  since  I  held  a  meeting  at 
Salem,  where  there  is  a  small  church,  and  also  at  a  school-house 
five  miles  from  there. 

The  closing  weeks  of  1853  and  the  beginning  of  1854 
witnessed  a  deep  and  growing  religious  interest  on  the  part 
of  both  church  and  people.  We  take  the  following  account 
of  it  from  the  Home  Missionary: 

Note  by  the  Editor:  "For  a  considerable  time  previous  to 
the  effort  mentioned  below,  the  missionary  had  been  anxiously 
desirous  for  a  revival  of  God's  work  among  his  people.  This 
desire  became  apparent  in  his  preaching,  rendering  that  more 
earnest  and  therefore  more  effective.     The  way  was  thus  pre- 


CASES    OF    CONVERSION.  161 

pared  for  the  work  that  followed.  So  it  usually  is.  AVould 
that  all  missionaries  and  ministers  were  mindful  of  it — that  the 
reviving  of  religion  which  moves  a  whole  community,  has  its 
secret  beginning  in  the  minister's  own  soul." 

We  held  a  series  of  meetings  which  continued  five  weeks. 
The  preaching  was  plain,  pointed  and  faithful.  These  exercises 
have  been  of  great  service  to  the  church,  not  only  as  a  present 
refreshing,  but  in  preparing  them  for  future  labor.  There 
have  been  some  very  interesting  cases  of  conversion.  *  *  I 
feel  that  we  have  reason  to  bless  God  for  the  meeting  and  the 
blessing  which  attended  it.  The  good  seed  sown  I  trust  will 
yet  bring  forth  much  fruit.  God's  dealings  with  this  church 
have  been  such  as  to  call  for  lively  emotions  of  gratitude.  For 
five  winters  in  succession  we  have  enjoyed  seasons  of  refreshing, 
in  which  souls  have  been  born  into  the  kingdom.  For  more 
than  two  years  there  has  been  no  death  in  the  church  and  but 
little  sickness.  How  long  these  mercies  will  continue  God  only 
knows.     To  Him  be  all  the  praise. 

It  is  a  fact  of  interest  that  the  children  of  this  church, 
as  they  grew  up,  almost  without  exception  became  Chris- 
tians and  united  with  the  church.  A  few  cases  of  marked 
conversion  in  connection  with  Mr.  Gaylord's  labors  in 
Danville  are  here  given :  A  young  and  talented  physician, 
a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  with  a  Christian  wife  from 
New  York  city,  located  in  the  settlement  in  the  spring  of 
1838.  The  doctor  was  an  unbeliever,  and,  although  he 
often  accompanied  his  wife  to  the  place  of  worship,  he  had 
a  decided  aversion  to  the  humbling  doctrines  of  the  cross. 
Increasing  practice  frequently  afforded  a  plausible  excuse 
for  being  absent  from  meeting  on  the  Sabbath.  Then  the 
time  came  when  it  was  noticed  that  he  was  often  present, 
and  had  become  anxious  for  his  own  spiritual  welfare.  It 
was  not  long  before  his  wife  and  numerous  friends  to- 
gether with  his  pastor  had  the  great  joy  of  seeing  him  be- 
come a  decided  follower  of  Christ.  He  proved  an  invaluable 
and  constant  helper  to  the  church  and  pastor,  and  after 

12 


162  LIFE   OP   REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

more  than  forty  years  of  a  consistent  and  active  Christian 
life,  in  August,  1887,  he  went  home  to  his  reward.  Four 
years  earlier  his  beloved  wife,  having  spent  long  years  in 
loving  service  for  Christ,  preceded  him  to  the  heavenly 
world.  Four  of  their  children  are  still  living  to  cherish 
hallowed  memories  of  these  faithful  and  devoted  parents. 
One  of  the  daughters  is  at  present  a  most  efficient  helper  in 
the  Danville  church. 

A  few  years  after  the  doctor's  conversion,  during  a 
revival,  one  of  the  converts  was  an  interesting  young 
man  who  resided  with  his  parents  in  Danville.  He  was 
engaged  to  a  young  lad}T  in  an  eastern  state  who  was  a  fav- 
orite in  society,  petted  and  flattered  by  the  gay  circle  in 
which  she  moved.  After  the  wedding,  as  she  was  about  to 
leave  for  her  new  home,  some  of  her  friends,  knowing  the 
character  of  the  social  and  religious  society  in  which  she 
would  mingle  in  Danville,  said  to  her:  "  You  will  be  as  stiff 
an  old  Puritan  as  any  of  them  in  six  months."  She  replied, 
"  No ;  not  I !  You  need  not  be  troubled,  for  I  am  in  no 
danger."  The  first  Sabbath  after  her  arrival,  she  naturally 
accompanied  her  husband  to  the  house  of  God.  There  she 
was  met  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  before  the  service  closed 
became  anxious  and  troubled  about  her  own  state.  During 
the  week  which  followed  she  gladly  welcomed  the  minister 
to  converse  and  pray  with  her,  and  soon  found  peace  and 
joy  in  believing.  She  now  gave  herself  to  the  service  of 
Christ  with  that  same  decision  of  character  which  had 
marked  her  course  as  a  devotee  of  pleasure,  and  soon  devel- 
oped into  a  noble  and  gifted  Christian  woman,  "  full  of 
good  works  and  alms  deeds  "  for  the  Master.  After  a  beau- 
tiful and  consecrated  life  in  the  city  of  Burlington,  which 
became  their  chosen  home,  she  was  called  away  from  earth 
in  the  autumn  of  1885.  A  very  large  company  of  those 
who  knew  her  worth  joined  with  the  bereaved  husband  in 
mourning  the  loss  of  one  so  greatly  beloved. 

Another  interesting  case  was  that  of  a  lady  who  had 


TRUSTEE   BUSINESS.  163 

lost  a  lovely  child  in  the  city  of ,  and,  almost  over- 
whelmed by  her  affliction,  had  come  to  Danville  to  visit  her 
husband's  parents.  She,  too,  with  a  heart  made  very  tender, 
by  her  great  sorrow,  came  to  the  house  of  God.  There  she 
was  met  by  the  Divine  Spirit,  and  although  she  had  been 
for  some  years  a  member  of  a  church,  felt  that  she  was  not 
a  Christian.  She  was  assailed  by  the  most  terrible  tempta- 
tions, and  endured  several  weeks  of  intense  suffering  before 
she  could  sit  like  a  child  at  the  feet  of  Jesus.  She  now 
delighted  to  spend  much  of  her  time  in  the  pastor's  family, 
and  although  too  delicately  reared  to  understand  household 
employments,  was  anxious  to  help  perform  the  daily  tasks 
so  that  she  might  enjoy  the  company  of  those  with  whom 
she  could  talk  of  her  newly  found  hopes  and  joys.  In  all 
the  years  that  have  followed,  it  is  believed  that  her  life  has 
been  that  of  a  devout  and  humble  Christian. 

Burlington,  Iowa,  March  8,  1854. — My  Dear  Wife:  I  am 
still  here  waiting  for  a  boat  going  up  the  river,  which  is  now 
hourly  expected.  Have  tried  telegraphing  to  Davenport,  but 
the  line  will  not  work  owing  to  dampness.  It  is  possible  the 
trustees  may  have  a  quorum  and  get  the  business  done  before  I 
get  there,  and  yet  if  I  should  not  go,  they  might  fail  and  great 
injury  result.  Last  night,  after  committing  the  whole  matter 
to  God,  I  was  led  to  feel  that  if  I  could  not  get  word  by  tele- 
graph, it  was  my  duty  to  go.  So  I  leave  it.  Have  seen  Bro. 
Winchell,  and  promised  to  go  to  Warren  and  help  him  sometime 
next  week.  Have  visited  at  Mr.  Jaggar's,  Mr.  Starr's,  Mr. 
Hedge's  and  Mr.  Ruby's,  and  attended  meetings  both  evenings. 
There  is  much  interest  in  Bro.  Salter's  church  and  congrega- 
tion. Last  Sabbath  five  united  with  the  church  by  profession 
and  two  by  letter. 

AVauren,  Iowa,  March  18,  1854. — My  Dear  Wife:  This  will 
introduce  to  you  Rev.  Mr.  Johnson  and  wife  from  La  Harpe, 
Illinois,  who  will  spend  the  Sabbath  with  you.  Bro.  Johnson 
will  preach  for  our  people  in  my  place.  I  find  the  condition 
of  things  here  such    that   there   seems   but   little    prospect  of 


164  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

accomplishing  immediate  results  in  the  conversion  of  the  impen- 
itent, but  hope  to  do  the  church  some  good  and  prepare  the 
way  for  a  better  state  of  things  in  the  future.  There  are  but 
few  working  bees  here  to  gather  honey.  Was  quite  ill  on 
Wednesday,  but  have  preached  nine  times  since  I  came. 

Mr.  Gaylord  was  often  sent  for  to  assist  disheartened  or 
weakened  churches,  to  encourage  and  strengthen  them,  and 
to  aid  the  pastors  in  special  efforts  for  revival. 

To  the  Home  Missionary  Society: 

Danville,  May,  1854. — I  will  state  clearly  a  point  in  regard 
to  which  the  members  of  this  church  are  troubled.  It  is  not 
that  the  Society  has  not  spoken  against  slavery,  or  failed  to 
condemn  it  as  a  heinous  sin,  but  they  feel  that  in  granting  aid 
to  churches,  the  condition  ought  to  be,  that  slaveholding  should 
be  a  disciplinable  offense,  or  in  other  words,  a  bar  to  membership 
in  those  churches.  *  *  *  *  I  have  been  more  full  in  this 
statement,  regarding  it  as  the  index  of  a  deep  and  growing 
feeling  of  a  similar  character  all  through  the  northwest.  The 
recent  movements  in  congress  have  tended  greatly  to  strengthen 
this  sentiment.  In  view  of  this  state  of  feeling,  it  was  decided 
to  be  our  duty  to  ask  no  further  aid  of  your  Society.  Such  was 
the  decision  at  our  annual  business  meeting.  The  question 
excited  a  great  degree  of  interest,  and  I  had  serious  fears  lest 
it  might  cause  division  and  thus  paralyze  our  efforts,  but  such 
was  not  the  case.  And  now  having  cut  loose  from  the  great 
fountain  of  Christian  charity,  from  which  we  have  obtained  help 
so  long,  we  decided  to  raise  the  $400  among  ourselves,  if  possible. 
By  the  blessing  of  God  upon  their  united  effort,  they  have 
succeeded  and  the  subscription  is  made  up. 

It  is  nearly  sixteen  years  since,  young  and  inexperienced, 
just  entering  upon  the  arduous  work  of  the  gospel  ministry,  I 
first  received  a  commission  from  your  Society.  During  all  this 
time  my  relations  with  you  have  been  of  the  most  pleasing 
character .  I  now  take  my  leave  with  the  liveliest  emotions  of 
gratitude  for  all  your  Christian  sympathy  and  support.  In 
four  weeks  we  expect  to  leave  for  a  visit  east. 


SLAVERY    AND    HOME    MISSIONS.  165 

This  visit  proved  most  helpful  and  refreshing,  and  Mr# 
Gaylord  returned  in  October  greatly  strengthened  for  future 
labors. 

The  views  spoken  of  in  the  foregoing  letter  in  regard  to 
the  position  of  the  Society  on  this  subject,  continued  to 
"gain  volume  and  strength,  and  were  strongest  in  those 
portions  of  the  country  from  which  the  largest  contributions 
were  received."  In  the  autumn  of  1856  a  Memorial  was  sent 
to  the  Society  from  the  General  Association  of  Iowa,  embody- 
ing their  views  as  to  the  line  of  policy  upon  which  the 
Society  should  decide  to  act.  The  following  resolution, 
adopted  by  the  Executive  Committee  without  a  dissenting 
vote,  was  sent  in  reply  to  this  Memorial : 

Resolved,  That  in  the  disbursement  of  funds  committed  to 
their  trust,  the  Committee  will  not  grant  aid  to  churches  con- 
taining slave-holding  members,  unless  evidence  be  furnished  that 
the  relation  is  such  as,  in  the  judgment  of  the  Committee,  is 
justifiable,  for  the  time  being,  in  the  peculiar  circumstances  in 
which  it  exists. 

This  resolution  made  it  necessary  to  ascertain  the  posi- 
tion of  each  church  seeking  aid,  and  grant  or  withhold 
assistance  as  the  facts  furnished  might  suggest. 

To  Miss  Martha  Gaylord,  Norfolk,  Connecticut: 

Danville,  Iowa,  Ma}^  7,  1855. — My  Dear  Niece:  At  the 
time  your  letter  was  received  I  was  fully  occupied  with  the 
care  of  Mrs.  Gaylord  and  our  little  son,  and  I  have  been 
more  than  usually  busy  ever  since.  Then,  I  had  written  to 
Bro.  Rice,  and  hoped  to  hear  from  him  again  that  I  might  be 
able  to  communicate  something  in  reference  to  your  brother. 
But  I  have  heard  nothing,  and  improve  a  leisure  moment  this 
morning  to  answer  your  letter.  *  *  *  I  feel  deeply 
for  you  in  j^our  accumulated  trials,  and  hope  and  believe  they 
will  be  so  sanctified  to  }rou  that  they  will  yield  the  peaceable 
fruits  of  righteousness.  I  preached  yesterday  from  these  words, 
••Arise  ye,  and  depart;  for  this  is  not  your  rest."     How  sweet 


166  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

the  rest  of  heaven  after  all  our  toils  and  trials  here!  We  are 
all  in  comfortable  health.  Mrs.  Gaylord  is  better  than  for 
years.  Our  two  youngest  children  have  been  nearly  sick  with 
colds,  but  are  much  better.  Your  Uncle  A.  is  quite  poorly 
again  this  spring.  We  seem  now  not  far  from  Connecticut,  as 
the  railroad  is  finished  to  Burlington,  twelve  miles  from  us.  It 
would  give  us  great  pleasure  to  have  a  visit  from  you  if  you 
could  come. 

I  trust  you  are  living  for  another  world,  and  that  at  no 
distant  day  we  may  meet  in  heaven,  and  there  see  our  Savior 
and  beloved  friends  who  have  gone  before.  I  feel  more  and 
more  that  this  world  is  not  worth  living  for. 

In  the  autumn  of  1855  Mr.  Gaylord  planned  a  tour 
across  the  state  of  Iowa.  One  object  of  his  journey  was  to 
invest  in  government  lands  some  money  left  to  his  eldest 
daughter  from  her  grandfather's  estate,  and  another,  to 
enjoy  a  short  period  of  much  needed  rest.  He  left  home 
early  in  September,  and  at  Ottumwa  he  was  joined  by  Mr. 
Norris,  a  brother-in-law  of  Rev.  Mr.  Spaulding.  The  two 
journeyed  on  together,  and  at  Lewis,  Cass  county,  Mr.  Gay- 
lord succeeded  in  making  the  necessary  investment.  Thence 
impelled  by  a  desire  to  see  the  Missouri  valley  and  to  learn 
the  particulars  of  the  sickness  and  death  of  a  nephew  in 
Omaha,  for  the  benefit  of  eastern  friends,  he  drove  to 
Council  Bluffs,  and  on  Saturday  crossed  over  to  the 
Nebraska  shore.  This  nephew,  Mr.  Myron  Gaylord,  was 
the  son  of  Mr.  Gaylord's  oldest  brother.  He  had  come  out 
from  Norfolk,  Connecticut,  and  built  the  second  house  in 
Omaha  city  in  1854.  It  was  then  on  the  side  of  a  hill 
overlooking  a  plateau  and  the  river,  with  a  long  stretch  of 
bottom  land  and  the  distant  bluffs  on  the  Iowa  side.  But 
hills  have  been  leveled  and  valleys  raised  until  the  old 
land  marks  are  fast  being  obliterated.  The  location  of  this 
house  was  near  where  Burt  street  is  now  crossed  by  Twenty- 
second  street.  The  first  house  erected  in  Omaha  city  was  a 
good-sized  log  cabin,  built  at  Twelfth  and  Jackson  streets, 


A    VISIT   TO   OMAHA.  167 

early  in  the  summer  of  1854.  It  was  used  for  a  boarding 
house,  and  several  times  a  Methodist  minister  named 
Cooper  came  over  from  Council  Bluffs  and  held  religious 
services  on  the  Sabbath,  f 

Mr.  Gaylord's  nephew  had  married  a  wife  from  a  Mor- 
mon family — herself  a  Mormon,  but  after  a  year  or  so  he 
sickened  and  died.  His  parents  had  been  unable  to  learn 
anything  satisfactory  of  these  last  days  of  their  son.  Mr. 
Gaylord  found  Dr.  Miller,  who  was  his  physician,  and  from 
him  learned  particulars  of  the  sad  event. 

Being  invited  to  preach  the  next  day  he  consented,  but 
returned  to  Council  Bluffs  and  officiated  for  Rev.  Mr.  Rice 
on  Sabbath  morning,  as  he  had  promised.  In  the  afternoon 
he  recrossed  the  river  and  preached  in  the  old  State  House. 

Of  that  first  Sunday  in  Omaha  and  subsequent  events 
Mr.  Gaylord  wrote : 

In  my  congregation  was  Gov.  Richardson,  to  whom  I  had 
been  introduced  the  day  before.  At  the  close  of  the  meeting 
he  gave  me  an  earnest  invitation  to  come  and  make  my  home  in 
the  city  that  was  to  be.  Without  giving  him  a  direct  answer 
the  seed  lodged  in  my  mind  as  a  seed  drops  into  the  ground. 
That  seed  germinated — that  thought  grew  in  my  mind  all  the 
way  home.  I  was  deeply  impressed  from  what  I  had  seen, 
with  the  feeling  that  Omaha  was  a  point  of  great  importance 
and  that  the  Lord  had  a  great  work  there  for  some  one  of  his 
servants  to  do. 

On  arriving  at  home  I  laid  the  matter  before  my  wife.  She 
had  alwaj^s  said,  "If  we  ever  move,  let  it  be  toward  the  east." 
But  when  this  new  work  was  presented  for  her  to  think  over, 
she  laid  aside  her  preferences  and  raised  no  objections.  After 
conferring  with  some  of  my  brethren,  they  expressed  their 
uniform  conviction  that  the  point  should  be  occupied  at  once, 
and  gave  some  reasons  why  I  could  go  better  than  any  other  one 

fit  is  believed  that  this  cabin  was  built  for  the  convenience  of  the  public,  and  not 
for  a  private  residence.  But  in  a  short  time  two  others  were  put  up  which  were  designed 
for  family  dwellings.  One  of  these  homes  was  erected  by  Mr.  Snowden,  on  Tenth  street 
near  Jackson  ;  the  other  by  Messrs.  W.  and  S.  E.  Rogers  on  Douglas  street  near  Tenth. 


168  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLOKD. 

of  our  number.  These  reasons  were — a  small  family,  a  good 
constitution,  and  large  western  experience.  Thus  the  decision 
was  reached,  and  a  council  called  to  dissolve  my  pastoral  relation 
to  a  dear  church.  An  application  to  the  A.  H.  M.  S.  for  a 
commission  to  labor  in  Nebraska  was  drawn  up  and  endorsed  by 
members  of  the  council  before  they  dispersed. 

Winter  was  near  at  hand,  and  so  clear  was  the  call  of  God 
to  go  forward  that  we  decided  to  do  so  without  waiting  to  hear 
from  the  application. 

In  a  letter  written  by  Dr.  Salter  as  a  tribute  to  the 
memory  of  Mr.  Gaylord,  the  doctor  says:  "At  the  prospect 
of  the  opening  of  Nebraska  and  Kansas  to  settlement  in 
1854,  I  well  remember  how  his  heart  was  stirred  with  the 
importance  of  planting  the  gospel  on  the  western  bank  of 
the  Missouri;  and  Iowa  is  certainly  honored  that  one  from 
her  own  churches  should  have  gone  forth  with  valor  and 
courage,  and  borne  such  a  noble  part  in  laying  good  foun- 
dations there." 

The  closing  year  of  Mr.  Gaylord's  life  in  Iowa  was  a 
bright  and  cheerful  one,  a  year  of  good  work  and  a  strength- 
ening of  the  bonds  which  existed  between  pastor  and  people. 
We  give  a  few  extracts  from  his  farewell  sermon : 

A  relation  that  has  devolved  upon  me  a  mighty  responsibil- 
ity, and  been  the  cause  of  much  true  happiness  has  just  ceased 
to  exist,  and  1  stand  before  you  in  this  sacred  desk  for  the  last 
time  as  your  spiritual  instructor  and  guide. 

After  giving  a  summary  of  events,  of  admissions  to  the 
church,  baptisms,  etc.,  he  says: 

This  church  was  one  of  the  three  represented  by  pastor  and 
delegate  in  the  formation  of  the  first  association  in  this  state  in 
1840.  Fifteen  years  have  passed  since,  and  that  small  beginning 
has  grown  to  five  associations,  with  probably  more  than  eighty 
churches  and  fifty  ministers.  [Seven  years  later  Mr.  Gaylord 
wrote,  Iowa  reports   157   Congregational  churches,  with  over 


FAREWELL    SERMON.  169 

5,000  members  and  111  ministers.]  *  *  *  The  future,  my 
dear  hearers,  we  cannot  penetrate.  I  trust  the  Great  Shepherd 
of  the  sheep  will  soon  send  3rou  another  under  shepherd — the 
right  one,  faithful  and  true,  whom  you  will  receive  as  from  the 
Lord.  Let  me  say,  do  not  expect  too  much  of  him  who  may 
be  placed  over  you  as  your  spiritual  guide.  Ministers  are  at 
the  best  but  imperfect  men,  and  you  will  need  to  exercise  that 
charity  which  covers  many  faults.  Gather  around  him,  sustain 
him  by  your  presence  and  pi\ayers.  Show  him  that  you  feel  a 
deep  interest  in  his  work,  and  in  all  proper  ways  let  him  feel 
that  he  has  your  sj^mpathy  and  confidence.  Be  prompt  and 
cheerful  in  meeting  your  pecuniary  engagements  to  him  who 
may  serve  you  in  spiritual  things.  Ministers  work  at  a  lower 
rate  according  to  their  qualifications  than  any  other  class  of 
men,  and  they  should  be  relieved  from  anxiety  by  suitable  fore- 
thought in  providing  for  them  a  needful  pecuniary  support. 
*  *  *  It  is  now  nearly  seventeen  years  since  I  began 
with  all  the  ardor  and  enthusiasm  of  youth,  to  cultivate  this 
new  field.  The  great  desire  of  my  heart  at  all  times  has  been 
the  prosperity  of  Zion,  especially  of  this  church  and  people  more 
particularly  committed  to  my  care.  I  have  honestly  sought  to 
know  the  truth,  and  what  I  believed  to  be  the  truth  I  have  not 
shunned  to  declare.  But  I  am  not  insensible  to  the  great  defects 
of  my  ministerial  life.  *  *  *  It  has  been  my  pleasure  to 
make  sacrifices  for  your  prosperity  and  to  bear  my  part  in  that 
which  might  prove  a  public  benefit,  hoping  by  example  to 
encourage  others  to  do  more  than  I  had  the  ability  to  do.  For 
all  your  sympathies  in  times  of  trial  and  affliction,  for  all  the 
substantial  tokens  of  your  affection  and  regard  I  feel  truly 
grateful  and  may  God  reward  you .  Follow  me  with  your  prayers 
as  I  go  to  this  new  field,  and  maj'  the  God  of  love  abide  with 
and  keep  you  all  in  His  own  perfect  peace. 


VII. 


TRANSPLANTED. 


1855-1859. 


I  hear  the  tread  of  pioneers 

Of  nations  yet  to  be, 
The  first  low  wash  of  waves,  where  soon 

Shall  roll  a  human  sea. 


Take  the  pilgrim's  staff  again, 
Grasp  by  faith  the  pilgrim's  God; 

Through  the  sunshine  and  the  rain 
Be  thy  journey  bravely  trod. 

Angel  guards  thy  steps  attend 

Christ  shall  keep  thee  to  the  end. 


-  Whittier. 


— Selected. 


Haste,  haste  with  the  water  of  life!  for  men  die 

For  a  draught  of  your  own  overflowing  supply; 

And  heaven  is  waiting  to  see 

Whether  you,  for  whom  I 

Heaven's  glory  laid  by 

Will  arise  to  this  service  for  me. 

— Life  and  Light. 

"Behold  God  himself  is  with  us  for  our  Captain." 

The  only  pleasure  that  never  wears  out  is  the  pleasure  of  doing  good. 

—Dr.  Goodell. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

Nebraska. 

Kansas-Nebraska  Bill — Nebraska — An  Appeal  for  a  Man — Re- 
moval to  Omaha — Cold  and  Privation — Sickness  and  Death 
— Organization  op  Churches  at  Omaha,  Fontanelle  and  Other 
Places— Church  Building — Mrs.  Gaylord's  Visit  East — Letters 
— Hard  Times — Visit  to  Danville — From  Danville  to  Omaha 
Again — Gold  Excitement. 

From  a  historical  paper  prepared  by  Mr.  Gaylord  we 
take  some  notes: 

What  is  now  the  Territory  of  Nebraska  was  embraced  in 
the  original  Louisiana  purchase,  made  in  1803.  The  states  of 
Louisiana,  Missouri  and  Iowa,  with  a  large  portion  of  Min- 
nesota, were  carved  out  of  that  purchase.  The  territories  of 
Kansas  and  Nebraska  were  organized  out  of  a  portion  of  the 
remainder ,  by  act  of  congress  approved  May  30,1854,  and  widely 
known  as  the  Kansas-Nebraska  bill.  In  that  enactment  the 
great  barrier  to  the  introduction  of  slavery  in  this  vast  region, 
covered  by  the  Missouri  compromise,  was  removed. 

In  1853  began  the  memorable,  intense  and  exciting  con- 
troversy in  Congress  upon  this  Kansas-Nebraska  bill.  To 
fully  understand  and  appreciate  this  discussion,  its  results, 
and  the  effect  of  them  upon  the  subsequent  history  of  our 
country,  one  or  two  previous  acts  of  congress  need  to  be 
briefly  mentioned.  In  1818  commenced  the  struggle  in 
congress  over  the  admission  of  Missouri  as  a  slave  state. 
The  representatives  in  congress  of  the  north  eloquently 
and  strongly  opposed  the  admission  of  Missouri  with  its 
constitution  permitting  slavery.  The  discussion  was  long 
and  violent,  and  finally  resulted  in  1820,  in  the  celebrated 
"  Missouri  compromise,"  advocated  by  Henry  Clay,  which 


174  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

was  that  slavery  should  be  prohibited  in  all  other  territory 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  north  of  parallel  36°  30\ 
When,  in  1849,  California  made  application  for  admission 
to  the  Union,  with  a  constitution  excluding  slavery  from 
her  territory,  agitation  of  the  slavery  question  was  once 
more  revived  in  Congress.  Again  Henry  Clay,  by  his 
burning  eloquence,  did  much  to  allay  the  strife,  and  the 
"  Compromise  of  1850 "  was  effected,  by  which  California 
was  admitted  as  a  free  state;  New  Mexico  and  Utah  were 
organized  as  territories;  the  slave  trade  was  abolished  in 
the  District  of  Columbia,  and  the  infamous  "  Fugitive  Slave 
Law,"  which  provided  for  the  return  to  their  owners  of 
slaves  escaping  to  a  free  state,  was  passed.  Thus  was  the 
excitement  between  the  two  sections  of  country  allayed  for 
a  time. 

In  1854  the  agitation  of  the  slavery  question  was  again 
revived.  Mr.  Blaine,  in  his  "Twenty  Years  of  Congress," 
says:  "To  the  westward  and  northwestward  of  Missouri 
and  Iowa,  lay  a  vast  territory,  which,  in  1854,  was  not  only 
unsettled,  but  had  no  form  of  civil  government  whatever- 
By  the  Missouri  Compromise  every  sqare  mile  of  this  do- 
main had  been  honorably  devoted  to  freedom.  At  the 
period  named,  Indian  tribes  *  *  *  lighted  their 
campfires  on  the  very  borders  of  Missouri  and  Iowa.  But 
the  tide  of  emigration  which  had  filled  Iowa  and  Wiscon- 
sin, and  been  drawn  for  a  time  to  the  Pacific  slope,  now 
set  again  more  strongly  than  ever  to  the  Mississippi 
valley,  demanding  and  needing  new  lands  for  settlement 
and  cultivation.  To  answer  this  requirement  a  movement 
was  made  during  the  closing  weeks  of  Fillmore's  adminis- 
tration." Mr.  Douglass  took  the  lead  in  this  movement  by 
bringing  forward  a  measure  to  organize  Kansas  and  Ne- 
braska. This  was  known  as  the  "Kansas-Nebraska  bill," 
and  in  one  of  its  sections  the  Missouri  Compromise  of  1820 
was  declared  to  be  inoperative  and  void,  and  "Popular 
Sovereignty,"  the  right  of  the  people  in  each  territory  to 


NEBRASKA   AND   SLAVERY.  175 

decide  whether  or  not  they  would  have  slaves,  was  sub- 
stituted therefor.  The  north  was  fairly  stunned  by  this 
proposition,  and  the  excitement  was  intense.  This  Kansas- 
Nebraska  bill,  after  a  severe  and  prolonged  contest  of  four 
months,  was  finally  forced  through,  to  the  utter  destruction 
of  good  faith  between  the  north  and  south.  The  north, 
resolute  to  win  Kansas  for  freedom,  poured  a  steady 
stream  of  emigration  into  the  territory.  Civil  war  ensued, 
and  Kansas  became  a  scene  of  lawlessness  and  bloodshed. 
But  in  the  end  "bleeding  Kansas"  was  won  for  freedom, 
and  it  and  Nebraska  have  ever  been  free  states. 

There  are  men  and  women  now  in  active  life  who 
remember  when  there  was  not  a  foot  of  soil  under  the 
American  flag,  where  a  slave,  fleeing  from  slavery,  could 
not  be  arrested  and  sent  back  to  his  master.  And  they 
remember,  too,  for  possibly  they  were  eye-witnesses,  some 
thrilling  incidents  of  their  escape,  or  attempted  escape,  t© 
the  only  land  of  freedom  for  them  —  a  land  under  the 
British  flag.  Many  of  these  were  as  strange  and  wonderful 
as  any  romance  ever  written.  But  they  now  exist  only  in 
the  memories  of  those  dark  years — thanks  to  Abraham 
Lincoln  and  the  declaration  of  peace  in  1865. 

We  quote  still  further  from  Mr.  Gaylord's  paper : 

The  Territory  of  Nebraska  as  first  organized  embraced 
about  330,000  square  miles,  and  extended  from  latitude  40° 
to  British  America,  and  from  the  Missouri  river  on  the  east  to 
the  summit  of  the  Rocky  mountains  on  the  west.  New  terri- 
tories were  constituted,  which  cut  off  portions  of  Nebraska  for 
Dakota  on  the  north ,  Wyoming  and  Montana  on  the  west  and 
Colorado  on  the  southwest.  The  present  limits  extend  from  40° 
to  43°  north  latitude,  and  from  95°  to  104°  west  longitude, 
being  not  far  from  200  miles  from  north  to  south,  and  450  from 
east  to  west.  At  the  Missouri  river,  its  height  above  the  sea 
is  nearly  1,000  feet.  It  continues  to  rise  with  gentle  ascent, 
until,  at  the  western  boundary,  it  attains  a  height  of  5,000  feet. 


176  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

It  has  a  fertile,  apparently  inexhaustible  soil,  needing"  no  irri- 
gation, and  a  clear,  bracing  atmosphere,  beneficial  to  invalids. 
Nebraska  is  well  watered  by  living  streams  flowing  east  and 
southeast  until  they  unite  with  the  Missouri.  It  also  abounds  in 
living  springs.  The  streams  are  generally  bordered  with 
timber,  which  often  extends  a  long  way  back  with  little  groves 
running  up  into  ravines  and  hollows.  The  Platte  river,  rising 
in  the  Rocky  mountains,  flows  for  a  long  distance  in  two  main 
branches,  uniting  in  one  stream  300  miles  from  its  mouth.  It 
divides  Nebraska  into  two  nearly  equal  portions,  called  North 
and  South  Platte. 

In  the  Home  Missionary  of  July,  1855,  there  appeared, 
from  the  pen  of  Rev.  George  G.  Rice,  of  Council  Bluffs,  the 
following  "Appeal  for  Nebraska": 

Yesterday  I  spent  in  Omaha  City,  and  preached  in  the  hall 
of  the  House  of  Representatives,  having  arranged  to  exchange 
with  the  chaplain.  Omaha  City  has  been  made  the  capital  of 
Nebraska  by  the  Legislature.  It  is  growing  very  rapidly,  and 
seems  destined  to  be  a  place  of  much  importance.  There  are 
in  the  town  about  forty  houses,  and,  probably,  from  150  to  200 
inhabitants.  A  desire  is  expressed  there  that  your  Society 
furnish  them  a  minister.  Two  eligible  lots  have  been  donated 
for  a  church  edifice,  and  I  hold  the  deeds  for  them.  Mr. 
Richardson,  former  governor  of  Michigan  and  now  a  member 
of  the  Council  of  Nebraska,  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
church,  and  probably  would  do  what  he  could  to  aid  and  sus- 
tain the  minister  you  \way  send  them.  He  intends  bringing  his 
family  out  this  spring,  and  thinks  some  of  the  members  of  his 
own  church  in  Michigan  will  come.  But,  whether  a  church  can 
be  formed  there  at  once,  or  not,  they  ought  to  have  a  minister 
soon .  They  need  to  have  a  man  of  decided  ability  and  earnest 
piety.  The  congregations  that  such  a  minister  would  have 
would  be  attentive  and  intelligent.  No  minister  of  Calvinistic 
faith  has  been  designated,  so  far  as  I  know,  for  any  field  in 
Nebraska. 


A    SAD    FAREWELL.  177 

Toward  this  then  unexplored  region  in  the  beginning 
of  the  winter  of  1855-6,  Mr.  Gay  lord,  taking  his  little  house- 
hold, four  in  number,  turned  his  willing  footsteps.  Though 
somewhat  oppressed  with  a  feeling  of  sadness  and  his 
heart  filled  with  tender  memories,  he  did  not  allow  himself 
to  cast  any  lingering  looks  behind,  and  there  was  no  shrink- 
ing from  any  path  of  duty  or  hardship  which  might  lie 
before  him. 

How  shall  we  explain  or  describe  the  strong  affection 
which  a  faithful  pastor  cherishes  toward  the  members  of 
his  flock?  Other  love — that  of  husband  and  wife,  parents 
and  children — can  more  easily  be  understood,  for  though 
down  deep  in  the  heart  it  also  comes  so  near  the  surface  as 
to  be  witnessed  and  felt  in  every  day  life.  It  is  nature's 
strong  bond,  given  by  God  to  bind  families  together.  But 
a  pastor's  love  in  its  sacredness  bears  some  resemblance  to 
that  which  Christ  expressed  toward  His  disciples  in  that 
memorable  prayer  recorded  in  St.  John,  and  his  yearnings 
over  those  who  have  not  embraced  the  truth  are  akin  to 
those  of  Christ  when  He  wept  over  Jerusalem,  saying,  "0 
that  thou  hadst  known"  "the  things  which  belong  to  thy 
peace."  The  pastor's  wife,  if  she  is  a  true  helpmeet, 
feels  that  they  also  belong  to  her  as  a  part  of  her  own 
family.  She  weeps  and  rejoices  with  them — pleads  on  their 
behalf  at  the  mercy  seat,  and  takes  them  all,  in  love  and 
sympathy,  into  her  heart  of  hearts. 

A  letter  written  by  Mr.  Gaylord  to  the  Home  Missionary 
tells  unassumingly  the  story  of  this  journey. 

To  tear  away  from  our  people  amid  the  earnest  expressions 
of  regret  on  their  part,  to  preach  a  farewell  sermon  and  ad- 
minister the  sacrament  for  the  last  time,  to  dispose  of  a  pleasant 
home  with  all  the  comforts  and  conveniences  that  in  a  course 
of  years  we  had  gathered  around  us,  mainly  by  our  own  labor, 
and  to  say  the  parting  word  to  so  many  warm  friends,  was 
what  we  could  not  have  done  except  at  what  seemed  the  plain 

13 


178  LIFE    OF    FvEUBEN    GAYLORD. 

indications  of  Providence.  But  the  act  is  done;  and  we  have 
bid  adieu  to  all  the  friends  made  in  a  seventeen  years'  ministry , 
and  now  stand  on  the  frontier  where  I  stood  seventeen  years 
ago  as  your  missionary,  except  that  the  frontier  is  three  hun- 
dred miles  further  west,  on  the  Missouri  instead  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  that  I  bring  to  my  aid  the  experience  of  all  these 
years  of  labor  in  the  new  regions  of  the  west .  I  feel  that  I  carry 
with  me  the  prayers  and  sympathies  of  my  people,  of  my 
brethren  in  the  ministry,  and  of  a  large  circle  of  Christian 
friends . 

I  was  dismissed  November  7;  the  next  Sabbath  preached 
my  farewell  sermon,  and  then  bent  my  energies  to  preparation 
for  my  journey.  I  disposed  of  household  furniture  and  the 
provisions  laid  up  for  the  family  for  the  winter,  and  closed  up 
my  business  so  that  we  were  ready  to  leave  on  the  6th  of  De- 
cember. We  stopped  to  dine  with  an  aged  father  and  mother 
in  our  church,  who,  with  several  other  members  of  the  family, 
were  original  members  of  the  Danville  church.  There  was 
quite  a  circle  of  friends  present;  and  as  we  said  the  mournful 
good-bye  and  gave  the  parting  hand,  it  was  well  calculated  to 
remind  one  of  the  scene  at  Miletus,  when  Paul  met  the  elders  of 
Ephesus. 

From  there  we  went  on  our  way,  but  soon  experienced 
unpleasant  weather,  a  cold  change,  and  very  rough  and  bad 
traveling.  We  were  detained  two  days  at  the  Des  Moines  river 
in  consequence  of  ice,  and  finally  crossed  it  with  considerable 
danger  by  going  several  miles  out  of  our  way.  When  about 
six  miles  from  Indianola  our  carriage  broke,  and  we  had  a 
stream  to  ford,  which  fortunately  was  not  very  deep.  We  got 
over  safely,  reached  Indianola  and  stopped  for  repairs.  Here  I 
was  solicited  to  preach  at  night,  and  in  the  morning  left  with 
the  regrets  of  the  people  that  I  was  not  going  to  stop  with 
them.  It  is  an  important  and  most  inviting  field,  and  they 
ought  to  have  a  good  minister  without  delay.  Thence  our 
road  was  through  open  prairie;  the  weather  was  very  cold  and 
we  suffered  much.  Sometimes  we  had  to  press  through  snow 
drifts,  and  when  night  set  in  the  hungry  prairie  wolves  would 


THE    JOURNEY    TO    NEBRASKA.  179 

follow  the  carriage,  but  we  knew  they  would  not  dare  to  attack 
us.  There  were  some  streams  difficult  to  cross,  one  of  which 
we  were  told  we  could  not  get  over,  as  the  stage  had  been  fast  in 
it  for  two  days.  But  I  was  determined  to  look  the  difficulty  in 
the  face,  and  the  result  was  that  we  got  through  safely,  though 
not  without  considerable  danger.  The  family  crossed  upon 
the  ice  some  distance  above  the  ford,  and  procuring  help,  I  car- 
ried the  baggage  over  by  hand.  At  Council  Bluffs  we  spent 
three  days  at  the  hotel  and  then  came  here.  Since  that  our 
great  effort  has  been  to  keep  from  freezing.  Nearly  all  the 
time  water  has  frozen  within  a  foot  of  the  stove  with  all  the  fire 
I  could  make.  I  have  felt  most  keenly  for  my  companion  and 
children  in  these  trying  circumstances.  The  weather  has 
exceeded  in  severity  anything  I  ever  before  experienced.  The 
thermometer  has  ranged  from  twenty-five  to  thirty -two  degrees 
below  zero. 

In  later  years,  to  read  at  a  family  reunion  on  Christmas, 
Mrs.  Gaylord  wrote  the  following  account  of  those  trying 
times: 

Early  in  December,  1855,  we  set  out  on  our  journey  of  three 
hundred  miles  across  the  state  of  Iowa.  Mr.  Gaylord  proposed 
leaving  his  family  till  spring,  but  they  preferred  to  come  with 
him  and  help  bear  the  burdens  which  would  fall  to  his  lot  in  a 
new  and  untried  field  of  labor .  Railroads  were  not  very  plenty 
in  those  days.  We  traveled  in  a  two-seated  carriage  with  a 
span  of  horses — five  of  us  in  all.  The  youngest  was  the  little 
boy,  who  afterward  died  in  Omaha,  then  only  ten  months  old. 
We  had  been  told  the  roads  were  usually  good  in  December  and 
the  weather  mild.  That  winter  and  the  next  proved  to  be  ex- 
ceptions. After  the  first  day  we  encountered  rain  and  mud, 
then  snow  and  intense  cold.  It  was  often  difficult  to  find  any 
place  to  stay  at  night — sometimes  seven  or  eight  o'clock  before 
we  could  get  entertainment  for  ourselves  and  horses.  In  the 
timber,  on  South  river,  one  of  the  carriage  wheels  suddenly 
dropped  into  a  deep  rut  and  the  axletree  broke.  There  was  no 
house  near,  but  Mr.  Gaylord  cut  a  hickory  sapling,  bent  it  around 


180  LIFE    OP    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

•and  secured  it  with  a  rope,  so  that  we  forded  the  river  and  came 
on  to  Indianola.  There  we  remained  until  the  carriage  was 
mended,  and  then  pursued  our  journey.  Days  of  severe  cold, 
our  slow  and  difficult  progress,  often  through  almost  "un- 
trodden snow,"  to  human  view  was  very  disheartening.  But 
knowing  the  watchful  care  of  our  Almighty  Father  was  over 
us  continually,  we  were  not  discouraged.  We  expected  to  be 
kept  and  carried  safety  through  every  difficulty,  and  we  ivere. 
Little  R.  sat  bravely  on  the  front  seat,  rarely  saying  that  he  was 
cold,  but  when  we  knew  that  he  must  be,  if  the  road  permitted 
he  was  set  out,  and  ran  by  the  side  of  the  carriage  until  warmed 
by  the  exercise. 

In  western  Iowa  were  unbridged  streams  with  high,  steep, 
icy  banks.  These  were  frozen  at  the  sides,  but  water  running 
in  the  channel.  Twenty  miles  before  reaching  the  Nodaway 
river,  Mr.  Gay  lord  was  warned  that  it  was  useless  to  proceed, 
as  there  was  no  possibility  of  crossing  it,  but  we  kept  on.  We 
found  a  man  and  two  boys  living  in  a  shanty  near  the  river 
bank.  Their  services  were  secured,  and  a  place  was  found  up 
the  stream  where  the  family  could  walk  over  on  the  ice.  Re- 
turning to  the  ford  we  sat  down  upon  a  log  with  our  faces 
turned  away,  unwilling  to  look  upon  the  dangerous  exploit. 
Rails  and  branches  of  trees  were  laid  down  the  side  of  the  steep, 
icy  descent  to  prevent  the  carriage  from  sliding  around  and 
being  wrecked  on  a  stage  coach,  which  had  been  fast  in  the 
middle  of  the  stream  for  three  days.  Mr.  Gay  lord  succeeded 
in  driving  across  without  accident,  and  we  pressed  on  our  way. 

We  reached  Council  Bluffs  on  December  21,  riding  against 
a  piercing  northwest  wind  the  last  half  day.  The  hotel  was 
full  to  overflowing,  and  Mr.  Gay  lord  and  Mr.  Rice  walked  the 
streets  until  eleven  o'clock  to  find  a  lodging  place.  But  in 
those  days  private  houses  were  small  and  crowded  with  their 
own  occupants.  We  stayed  at  Mr.  Rice's  that  night,  and  the 
next  day  found  a  vacant  place  in  the  hotel.  Then  Mr.  Gay- 
lord  came  over  to  see  if  the  house  promised  us  was  ready. 
Winter  had  come  on  with  so  much  severity  that  work  was  sus- 
pended, and  it  could  not  be  occupied.  It  was  the  small  house  until 


FIRST    HOME    IN    OMAHA.  181 

recently  standing  north  of  Donaghue's  floral  establishment  on  Six- 
teenth street .  The  Douglas  house ,  the  only  hotel ,  on  the  corner 
of  Fourteenth  and  Harney  streets,  was  more  than  full.  A  part 
of  the  dwelling  where  Dr.  AVood  now  has  his  office  was  secured, 
and  on  the  afternoon  of  Christmas  day  Mr.  Gay  lord  brought 
his  family  from  the  Bluffs  to  find  a  shelter  there.  We  crossed 
the  Missouri  on  the  ice  at  a  point  then  quite  north  of  town . 
The  cold  was  so  intense  that  we  were  nearly  paralyzed  on  our 
arrival,  and  had  to  be  helped  into  the  house.  Mr.  Milton 
Rogers  had  himself  brought  a  stove  from  the  Bluffs,  and  a  fire 
was  soon  kindled. 

What  there  was  of  the  dwelling  stood  on  four  blocks  at  the 
corners,  with  no  other  foundation,  and  the  floor  was  not  remark- 
ably tight.  Of  course  there  was  no  plastering,  and  for  five 
weeks  no  thawing  sufficient  for  water  to  drop  from  the  eaves, 
excepting  one  day  in  February.  A  sod  stable  some  distance  to 
the  southwest  afforded  shelter  for  the  tired  horses.  Across 
Fifteenth  street,  where  the  Exposition  building  now  stands, 
was  a  house  owned  by  Mr.  Poppleton,  and  occupied  by  a 
f amity  named  Tucker.  Mr.  Goodwill's  family  were  not  far 
away.  Subsequently  additions  were  made  to  this  house  by  Mr. 
Samuel  Brown,  who  transformed  it  into  a  very  cozy  and  pleas- 
ant home  for  his  own  family.  After  about  six  weeks  we  moved 
to  a  more  comfortable  place,  on  the  south  side  of  Harnej^  street, 
west  of  the  Douglas  house  and  near  Fifteenth  street.  This 
dwelling  was  owned  by  Mr.  Shoemaker.  The  Douglas  House 
was  kept  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mills,  who  were  among  the  early 
residents  of  Omaha.  Governor  Richardson  and  family  lived  a 
short  distance  west  on  the  north  side  of  Harney  street.  From 
them,  from  Mrs.  A.  D.  Jones  and  her  mother,  and  many  others 
we  received  frequent  tokens  of  kindness,  which  can  only  be 
fully  appreciated  by  those  in  similar  circumstances. 

The  following  extracts  from  letters  written  by  members 
of  his  flock  in  Danville,  show  something  of  their  affection- 
ate regard  for  one  who  was  for  so  many  years  their  spiritual 
guide. 


182  LIFE   OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

Danville,  Februaiy  6,  1856. — Reverend  and  Dear  Pastor: 
It  was  with  pleasure  that  we  read  the  letter  we  received  from 
you.  I  am  very  sorry  you  have  such  a  poor  dwelling,  but 
hope  you  will  all  live  through  the  cold  winter,  and  before 
another  comes  will  be  better  situated.  I  am  glad  you  have  such 
a  prospect  for  usefulness,  and  hope  the  Lord  will  bless  your 
labors,  and  give  you  "many  souls  as  seals  of  your  faithful- 
ness and  your  crown  of  rejoicing."  The  prospect  before  us  is 
rather  dark.  I  cannot  find  out  that  the  committee  to  supply  the 
pulpit  are  making  any  effort  to  provide  us  with  regular  preach- 
ing, and  if  things  go  on  in  this  way  for  a  year  to  come,  I  shall 
try  to  find  some  place  where  there  is  preaching  and  a  church. 
The  weather  for  the  last  five  weeks  has  been  very  cold,  the 
thermometer  ranging  from  about  20°  above  to  28°  below  zero. 
I  understand  that  in  Burlington  on  the  south  hill  it  was  down 
to  33°.     The  snow  is  sixteen  inches  deep  on  the  level. 

From  Mrs.  Miner : 

Danville,  Iowa,  February,  1856. — I  well  know  how  to  sym- 
pathize with  you,  while  suffering  from  severe  cold  in  a  comfort- 
less house.  Many  a  twent3r-four  hours  have  I  spent  in  our  old 
cabin,  where  I  could  only  get  warm  in  bed.  Those  scenes  now 
come  before  my  mind  with  new  vividness,  and  I  feel  truly  as  if 
I  could  weep  with  you.  But  you  have  a  glorious  consolation 
that  I  did  not  have,  for  you  have  followed  the  steps  of  Him, 
"who,  though  He  was  rich,  yet  for  our  sakes  became  poor,  that 
we  through  His  poverty  might  be  rich . "  He  left  His  home  in 
His  Father's  bosom  to  suffer  here  thirty-three  years  and  then  die, 
that  He  might  save  fallen  man — you  have  left  a  comfortable 
home  and  loving  friends,  that  you  might  be  the  means  of  saving 
precious  souls  for  whom  He  bled  and  died.  "If  so  be  that  we 
suffer  with  Him ,  that  we  may  be  also  glorified  together . "  I  feel 
more  for  home  and  foreign  missionaries  than  I  once  did.  You 
and  dear  Mr.  Gaylord  seem  especially  near  to  me,  and  in  all  your 
trials  and  afflictions  I  feel  afflicted.  While  in  Denmark  a  few 
days  ago,  Mrs.  Tuttle  inquired  about  your  leaving,  and  I  told 
her  I  wished  she  would  not  name  Mr.  Gaylord  again,  because  it 


UNFURLING    THE    GOSPEL    BANNER.  183 

made  me  so  nervously  distressed.  Not  that  I  wished  to  forget 
you,  for  as  soon  would  I  forget  my  own  sister,  but  our  destitu- 
tion as  a  church  and  the  prospect  of  a  dark  future  would  loom 
up  before  my  mind,  and  sink  like  lead  into  my  heart.  Rev. Mr. 
Leonard  has  preached  three  Sabbaths,  the  only  Congregational 
preaching  since  you  left.  Our  people  often  go  to  Baptist  meet- 
ing. Oh,  how  I  long  to  "sit  under  our  own  vine  and  fig  tree" 
once  more! 

Of  this  period  Mr.  Gaylord  said  in  a  memorial  sermon 
delivered  years  afterward : 

On  my  arrival  I  found  at  the  postoflice  a  commission,  sent 
me  by  Rev.  Milton  Badger,  D.  D.,  Senior  Secretary  of  the  A. 
H.  M.  S.,  giving  me  words  of  cheer.  In  that  commission  I  was 
guaranteed  $600  for  my  support  for  one  year,  which  was  not 
one-half  of  what  it  actually  cost  me  to  maintain  my  family .  I  at 
once  commenced  preaching  in  the  Council  Chamber  of  the  old 
State  House.  I  found  Rev.  Mr.  Collins  of  the  M.  E.  church 
and  Rev.  Mr.  Leach,  a  Baptist  clergyman,  on  the  ground.  They 
had  appointments,  one  in  the  morning  and  the  other  in  the 
evening,  and  I  took  the  afternoon.  There  was  a  Presbyterian 
minister  at  Nebraska  City  and  another  at  Bellevue.  These  were 
the  beginnings,  the  germ  of  what  was  to  be.  There  was  no 
church  organization  in  Omaha,  except  a  Methodist  class  of  six 
members.  We  soon  organized  a  Union  Sunday  School,  of  which 
B.  H.  Chapman,  Esq.,  was  superintendent. 

The  editor  of  the  Home  Missionary  noted  Mr.  Gaylord's 
advent  in  Nebraska  in  the  following  words : 

We  have  the  greatest  reason  to  be  encouraged  with  the  suc- 
cess which  has  attended  the  efforts  of  the  churches  to  keep  up 
with  the  immense  progress  of  our  population;  but  the  half  has 
not  been  done  which  ought  to  be  done.  One  missionary  of  the 
Cross  has  gone  to  Nebraska.  How  many  emissaries  of  Mammon 
have  the  churches  sent  to  counterwork  him?  Another  name 
has  now  been  added  to  the  list  of  the  states  and  territories 
occupied  by  this  Society.     The  home  missionary  standard  has 


184  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

been  planted  in  Nebixiska.  At  Omaha  City,  opposite  Council 
Bluffs,  the  banner  of  the  Cross  is  already  unfurled,  and  other 
posts  await  the  advance  of  that  peaceful  army,  whose  triumphs 
are  for  freedom,  and  for  what  makes  freedom  good. 

This  account  of  Omaha  City  in  1856  is  from  Mr.  Gay- 
lord's  pen : 

I  see  unmistakable  evidence  of  energy  and  enterprise  in  this 
place  that  give  promise  of  progress  and  a  season  of  activitj-  in 
business  and  improvements.  Already  stone  is  drawn  for  numer- 
ous foundations.  All  expect  a  large  emigration,  and  prepara- 
tions are  made  accordingly.  Property  is  advancing,  and  in 
business  the  prospects  are  very  flattering.  "When  we  consider 
that  only  one  year  and  a  half  since  there  was  but  one  log  house 
in  Omaha  City,  and  that  now  it  has  a  population  of  600  or  800 
souls,  the  place  gives  evidence  of  a  spirit  on  the  part  of  its 
inhabitants  that  will  cause  it  to  increase  and  develop  very 
rapidly.  For  beauty  the  situation  is  unsurpassed.  It  is  on  the 
great  thoroughfare  westward,  and  will,  beyond  all  doubt,  be 
the  first  point  on  the  Missouri  river  reached  by  a  railroad. 
This  place  and  Council  Bluffs  City  will  then  occupy  the  same 
position  on  this  river  that  Davenport  and  Rock  Island  do  on 
the  Mississippi.  You  can  thus  see  at  a  glance  the  relative  and 
future  importance  of  this  point,  and  the  necessity  of  the  vigor- 
ous prosecution  of  the  work  of  evangelization.  When  the  spring 
is  fairly  inaugurated,  and  I  can  leave  home,  I  shall  be  happy  to 
explore,  somewhat,  up  and  down  the  river.  Most  of  the  settle- 
ments, as  yet,  are  near  the  Missouri.  In  the  interest  felt  in 
Kansas,  Nebraska  has  been  in  a  great  measure  overlooked,  and 
it  is  not  as  well  known  abroad  as  it  will  be.  *  *  *  Yovi 
must  prepare  for  a  great  work  here  at  no  distant  day. 

As  3^et  we  have  no  houses  of  Avorship  and  no  school  house. 
Many  begin  to  feel  that  this  state  of  things  must  not  continue. 
There  is  far  too  little  moral  restraint.  Sabbath-breaking,  pro- 
fanity and  drinking  are  quite  common ;  and  altogether  the  minds 
of  the  people  are  occupied  mostly  with  other  things  than  the 
concerns  of  the  soul.     Still  there  is  a  conscience  among  the 


PLANNING   TO    BUILD   A    CHURCH.  185 

people  in  favor  of  religion,  and  the  truth  held  before  that  con- 
science will  have  its  effect. 

I  have  preached  once  every  Sabbath  since  I  commenced  my 
labors,  and  have  been  gratified  with  the  serious  and  thoughtful 
attention  that  has  been  given  to  plain,  searching  truth  by  those 
who  compose  my  congregation.  We  have  but  one  place  of 
meeting,  and  that  is  in  the  building  used  by  the  Legislature. 
The  conviction  is  forced  upon  me  that  we  must  build  a  house  of 
worship,  and  we  are  beginning  to  move  in  that  matter.  As  a 
preparatory  step  to  erecting  a  house  and  organizing  a  church,  I 
have  deemed  it  expedient  to  form  a  religious  society,  and  seek 
to  enlist  the  sympathy  and  interest  of  those  who  do  not  belong 
to  the  church.  I  have  drawn  up  a  constitution,  and  yesterday, 
in  company  with  Gov.  Richardson,  visited  a  number  of  the 
leading  men  of  the  place,  several  of  whom  readily  gave  their 
names  to  our  articles  of  incorporation,  and  all  promised  help  in 
building  a  house.  Mrs.  Gay  lord  is  about  taking  steps  to  form 
a  Ladies'  Society,  which  is  important  to  give  us  acquaintance 
with  each  other.  I  hope  to  form  a  church  soon,  and  trust  that 
it  will  become  a  vigorous  and  efficient  agency  for  good.  I  am 
well  satisfied  that  I  did  not  come  a  day  too  soon,  and  although 
able  to  do  but  little  owing  to  the  severity  of-  the  winter,  yet  I 
am  putting  things  in  form  so  that  we  shall  soon  be  prepared  to 
prosecute  our  work  vigorously. 

A  few  words  in  reference  to  our  situation  and  expenses. 
For  six  weeks  we  were  obliged  to  remain  in  the  house  which  we 
at  first  occupied,  and  such  intense  cold  we  never  experienced. 
We  thought  of  what  we  had  left,  but  felt  that  the  Lord  had  called 
us  here  and  we  did  not  desire  to  return.  I  have  now  secured 
a  more  comfortable  dwelling.  It  has  two  rooms,  one  of  good 
size,  the  other  small — no  cellar,  well,  or  other  conveniences.  For 
this  we  pa}'  $21  a  month.  Superfine  flour  is  from  $8  to  $8.50  a 
hundred  pounds,  but  we  have  used  an  inferior  article  which  we 
get  for  $7.  We  have  denied  ourselves  the  luxury  of  butter. 
Sugar  is  12^  cents  a  pound,  and  other  groceries  in  proportion. 
You  will  readily  see  that  with  the  most  rigid  economy  our  ex- 
penses have  been  heavy. 


186  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

But  winter  is  passing  away,  and  spring  with  its  cheering 
influences  is  drawing  near.  The  ice  bridge  across  the  Missouri 
is  becoming  unsafe  except  for  footmen,  and  soon  this  highway 
of  commerce  will  be  open  for  the  rush  of  business  and  travel. 
My  prayer  is  that  the  Lord  will  gird  me  with  strength  and  wis- 
dom for  the  work  that  must  soon  crowd  upon  me. 

Society  is  necessarily  in  a  forming  state,  and  there  is  more 
or  less  of  strife  and  contention;  yet  I  have  heard  of  less  than 
is  common  in  settlements  of  so  recent  origin  and  such  rapid 
development.  We  have  been  forcibly  reminded  within  the  last 
month  that  we  are  really  on  the  "frontier."  The  town  has 
been  thronged  with  the  native  Indians,  the  former  lords  of  this 
soil.  There  were,  at  one  time  for  nearly  two  weeks,  800  or  900 
of  the  Omaha  Indians  encamped  about  two  miles  from  this  place . 
One  day  they  were  all  in  town  at  once,  and  received  from  the 
government  agent  600  sacks  of  flour  and  several  hogsheads  of 
sugar. 

May,  1856: 

The  work  to  be  done  here  is  to  lay  the  foundation  of  society 
and  of  gospel  institutions,  for  what  is  soon  to  become  a  great 
center  of  influence — a  place  where  multitudes  will  form  their 
characters  for  eternity.  The  pressing  necessity  of  this  arises 
from  the  fact,  first,  that  no  community  can  enjo}'  permanent 
prosperity  without  the  gospel;  and,  secondly,  that  everything 
here  is  to  advance  with  unprecedented  rapidity.  It  is  evident 
that  in  and  about  this  place  is  to  be  gathered,  at  no  distant  day, 
a  vast  amount  of  enterprise,  wealth  and  population.  The 
growth  of  many  years,  in  the  eastern  part  of  Iowa,  will  here 
be  crowded  into  a  comparatively  small  compass.  Our  work  is 
beset  with  difficulties,  owing  to  a  spirit  of  worldliness  strongly 
excited  by  the  great  increase  in  the  value  of  property,  caused 
by  the  rapid  growth  of  the  place.  Men  think  and  labor  for  the 
objects  of  the  present  life,  and  it  is  hard  to  interest  them  in 
anything  else. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  citizens  are  from  New  England, 
and  yet  a  smaller  proportion  are  professors  of  religion  than  in 


CHURCHES    ORGANIZED.  187 

any  community  I  have  ever  known.  The  Sabbath,  to  a  great 
extent,  is  a  day  of  pleasure  or  business.  The  first  boat  from 
St.  Louis  reached  here  on  Sunday,  and,  in  consequence,  the  day 
seemed  more  like  a  week  day  than  the  Sabbath.  A  correct 
moral  sentiment  is  yet  to  be  created,  and  there  are  but  few  to 
aid  in  doing  it.  Did  we  not  feel  that  the  Lord  is  on  our  side, 
we  might  well  give  up  in  despair.  But,  trusting  in  Him 
for  success,  we  are  seeking  to  put  in  operation  those  gospel 
influences  that,  when  brought  constantly  to  bear,  never  fail  to 
secure  good  results.  A\re  have  established  a  weekly  prayer- 
meeting,  and  it  is  attended  with  a  good  degree  of  interest.  We 
have  already  secured  a  subscription  of  over  $1,000  toward 
building  a  house  of  worship,  and  think  we  can  raise  $1,500  on 
the  ground.  Last  Sabbath,  May  4,  I  organized  a  Congrega- 
tional church  in  this  place,  the  first  fruits  of  the  home  mis- 
sionary enterprise  in  Nebraska.  Nine  of  us  entered  into  cove- 
nant with  each  other  and  with  God,  and  were  constituted  a 
church  of  Christ.  As  we  sat  together  around  the  table  of  our 
Lord,  it  carried  me  back  to  the  time  when,  nearly  seventeen 
3'ears  ago,  I  enjo}'ed  the  privilege  of  meeting  with  my  beloved 
church  in  Danville,  for  the  first  time,  to  remember  Christ  at 
his  table.  It  brought  also  afresh  to  mind  the  scene  when,  six 
months  since,  I  last  joined  with  that  church  in  commemorating 
the  death  of  Christ,  and  bade  them  farewell.  There  were  others 
with  us  on  this  deeply  interesting  occasion .  At  the  close  of  the 
service  two  brethren  from  Connecticut  introduced  themselves, 
one  of  whom  rose  from  a  sick  bed  in  order  to  be  with  us .  They 
expressed  much  interest,  left  a  small  contribution  for  our  new 
church,  and  gave  us  kind  words  of  encouragement  in  our  work. 
Since  I  last  wrote  you  I  have  purchased  a  small  house,  in 
an  unfinished  state,  with  two  rooms.  This  is  so  fitted  up  that 
we  are  now  more  comfortable  than  we  have  been  hitherto. 

The  week  following  the  organization  of  the  church  at 
Omaha,  Mr.  Gaylord  visited  Fontanelle  and  formed  a  church 
there.  The  people  were  expecting  him,  and  received  him 
most  gladly.     He  thus  tells  the  story : 


188  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

Reaching  there  on  Friday  I  preached  in  the  evening  and  at 
eleven  o'clock  on  Saturday,  and  in  the  afternoon  held  a  meeting 
preparatory  to  the  organization  of  the  church.  There  were 
quite  a  number  of  persons  from  the  First  Congregational  church 
in  Quincy,  Illinois.  They  had  received  some  valuable  contribu- 
tions in  money,  (over  $200,)  Sabbath  school  books,  and  a  com- 
munion service,  from  that  church,  which  greatly  encouraged 
them  in  their  feebleness.  In  the  afternoon  of  the  Sabbath,  after 
preaching  in  the  morning,  I  had  the  privilege  of  leading  twenty- 
three  individuals  into  covenant  with  God  and  with  one  another, 
and  constituting  them  a  church  of  Christ.  This  is  the  second 
Congregational  church  in  Nebraska.  Three  of  these  persons 
had  never  before  made  a  profession  of  religion.  The  occasion 
was  one  of  great  interest  to  me — preaching  to  those  who  were 
so  eager  to  hear  and  gathering  a  church  in  the  wilderness  with 
so  many  to  surround  the  table  of  our  Lord.  I  am  to  spend  the 
next  Sabbath  with  them ,  after  which  I  hope  they  will  soon  be 
supplied  with  regular  preaching.  I  regard  this  church  as  one 
of  great  promise. 

The  settlement  of  this  place  was  begun  in  the  autumn 
of  1854  by  a  colony  from  Quincy.  It  was  named  for  Logan 
Fontenelle,  a  chief  of  the  Omaha  tribe  of  Indians,  from 
whom  the  land  was  purchased. 

Mrs.  Gay  lord  has  been  very  sick,  and  for  several  weeks  my 
principal  business  has  been  watching  and  caring  for  her.  I  am 
happy  to  say  that,  though  veiy  weak  and  feeble,  she  is  beginning 
at  length  to  recover. 

The  quarter  has  been  one  of  excitement  and  activity  in  the 
outer  world .  Strangers  have  been  pouring  in  upon  us  continually. 
Property  has  doubled,  and,  in  some  cases,  quadrupled  in  value. 
Although  a  number  of  buildings  go  up  every  week ,  yet  many 
have  to  live  in  tents.  There  are  now  eight  store-houses  going 
up  on  one  street,  five  of  them  of  brick. 

An  appeal  from  the  Editor  of  the  Home  Missionary: 

Rev.  Mr.  Gaylord  is  nobly  improving  his  opportunities  for 
exploring  the  Nebraska  frontier.     It  is  evident  that  missionary 


AN    APPEAL    FOR    MINISTERS.  189 

fields  are  already  fast  developing  themselves  along  the  line  of 
the  Missouri,  and  that  the  immigration  has  begun  to  penetrate 
into  the  fertile  regions  that  are  more  remote.  The  United 
States  engineers  are  engaged  in  la3*ing  out  a  military  road,  con- 
necting New  Fort  Kearney  with  the  settlements,  and  there  can 
be  no  doubt  that  farm  lands  will  be  promptly  occupied  and 
village  centers  found  all  along  its  course  so  soon  as  it  is  open 
for  travel. 

If  now  there  are  any  young  men  of  energy,  courage,  and 
devotion,  who  are  eager  to  grapple  with  difficulties,  and 
who  would  rejoice  to  subdue  the  wilderness  into  a  garden 
of  the  Lord,  the  two  territories,  Kansas  and  Nebraska, 
both  hold  out  to  them  most  charming  opportunities.  And  if 
there  are  any  ministers  at  the  east  conscious  of  undeveloped  or 
unused  resources  of  body  and  of  mind,  and  who  long  for  more 
toil,  exposure,  exaction,  accomplishment,  who  are  impatient  to 
"see  things  moving  about  them,"  and  are  earnest  to  throw 
their  whole  life  and  soul  into  a  noble  enterprise,  we  point  them 
to  these  prairies  of  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  now  bursting  out  into 
population,  coming  thickly  as  forest  buds  in  spring  time. 
Whoso  longs  to  labor  for  God  and  for  freedom,  and  believes 
that  he  has  strength  to  endure,  let  him  gird  his  whole  armor  on 
and  hasten  to  those  silent  prairies  or  those  noisy  little  villages 
and  do  there  the  work  of  a  true  evangelist  and  an  apostle. 
"Whosoever  will  save  his  life  shall  lose  it." 

Near  the  close  of  the  first  year  Mr.  Gaylord  was  able 
to  write : 

Through  the  favor  of  a  kind  Providence  liberally  disposing 
the  hearts  of  this  people,  we  have  been  able  to  erect  our  house 
of  worship,  enclose  it,  and  finish  the  basement  ready  for  use. 
The  upper  room  cannot  be  completed  for  want  of  material  until 
next  spring.  The  house  is  27  by  36  feet,  of  brick,  substantially 
built  in  good  style,  with  a  basement  room  19  by  24  feet  in  the 
inside.  This  is  in  every  way  pleasant  and  inviting,  and  will  seat 
a  very  good  congregation,  perhaps  as  many  as  we  shall  have 
during  the  winter.  It  has  cost  your  missionary  much  labor 
and  anxiety  to  raise  the  funds,  make  the  contracts  and  attend  to 


190  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

the  general  superintendence  of  the  building.  This  has  been 
done,  too,  when  sickness  in  the  family  needed  his  personal 
attention  at  home,  and  when  also  the  time  might  have  been 
profitably  spent  in  other  destitute  places. 

During  the  last  six  or  eight  weeks  our  j^oungest  child  has 
been  sick,  so  that  he  has  been  a  great  care,  and  at  times  we  have 
feared  that  he  would  not  be  spared  to  us.  Thus  the  quarter 
now  closing  has  been  one  of  severe  toil  and  anxiety. 

One  week  ago  last  Sabbath  we  met  for  the  first  time  in  the 
basement  of  our  new  house.  Then  we  gathered  around  the 
Lord's  table,  and  six  were  added  to  our  little  church,  one  of 
them  a  recent  convert.  Quite  a  number  have  come  among  us 
who  are  church  members,  sympathizing  with  us,  and  who 
promise  to  be  a  help.  For  a  few  Sabbaths  I  have  had  evening 
appointments,  and  the  congregation  is  larger  and  every  way 
more  interesting.  We  have  commenced  a  Sabbath  school  with 
encouraging  prospects.  This  year  has  been  one  of  exposure 
and  hardship,  yet  we  have  borne  all,  feeling  that  it  was  for  the 
good  of  the  cause. 

It  was  unusual  for  Mr.  Gaylord  to  speak  of  his  own 
privations  as  freely  as  he  seems  to  have  done  in  some  of 
these  communications  to  the  Society.  For  if  himself  or 
family  were  destitute  of  what  was  needful  for  their  comfort, 
it  wras  his  practice  in  the  exercise  of  faith  and  patience,  to 
put  forth  strenuous  efforts  of  his  own  to  make  this  state  of 
things  better;  but  here  in  addition  to  such  privations  were 
sufferings  caused  by  the  sickness  and  death  of  loved  ones  in 
his  little  family,  and  the  disclosures  he  makes  show  how 
real  and  intense  were  the  afflictions,  and  that  he  was  endur- 
ing the  keenest  anguish  on  account  of  them. 

Three  months  later: 

I  wish  sometimes  that  I  could  place  before  you  the  scenes  of 
the  lastj-ear.  A  beloved  companion  prostrated  by  sickness,  as  the 
result  of  overtaxed  energies,  because  our  means  would  not  war- 
rant the  hire  of  a  servant  girl  at  §4  a  week;  and  then,  as  a 
consequence,  the  sickness  and  death  of  a  very  dear  child  are 


CHURCH  AND  TEMPERANCE  WORK.  191 

some  of  its  experiences.  I  say  not  this  to  complain.  Far  from 
it,  for  I  love  my  work,  and  desire  to  do  all  I  can  to  lay  here  the 
foundations  of  our  beloved  Zion.  There  can  not  be  any  material 
diminution  in  prices  for  the  next  twelve  months,  at  least.  The 
greater  part  of  our  supplies,  till  after  another  harvest,  must 
come  from  a  distance:  and  another  harvest  will  not  create  a 
surplus,  so  as  to  affect  materially  the  price  of  agricultural  pro- 
ducts— such  is  likely  to  be  the  influx  of  people  for  the  coming 
season . 

During  the  last  quarter,  I  have  preached  every  Sabbath  at 
eleven  o'clock,  and  have  had  a  very  interesting  Bible  class  of 
young  gentlemen  and  ladies  in  connection  with  the  Sabbath 
school  at  half  past  two.  We  have  sustained  our  weekly  prayer 
meeting  on  Thursday  evening,  and  the  Sabbath  school  has  been 
held  regularly,  although  the  season  has  been  most  unpropitious. 
This  winter  has,  on  the  whole,  been  more  severe  than  the  last. 
From  the  first  day  of  December  to  the  tenth  of  the  present  month 
it  scarcely  thawed.  There  has  been  a  snow  storm  almost  every 
week,  usually  on  Friday  or  Saturday,  accompanied  with  high 
wind,  so  that  often  on  Sunday  it  has  been  nearly  impracticable 
to  gather  a  congregation.  We  have  had  in  all  probability  not 
less  than  four  feet  of  snow,  and  for  weeks  from  two  to  two  and 
a  half  feet  on  the  level  when  not  drifted.  The  thermometer 
one  Sabbath  indicated  thirty  degrees  below  zero.  On  that  day 
there  were  thirty  hearers,  the  smallest  number  we  have  ever  had. 
My  congregations  have  been  good,  deeply  solemn  and  attentive. 
One  young  man  has  been  hopefully  converted. 

We  have  just  organized  a  temperance  society  on  the  basis 
of  the  old  pledge,  and  are  determined  to  raise  a  breakwater 
against  the  fearful  tide  of  intemperance  that  has  been  setting 
in  upon  us.  I  am  glad  to  know  that  my  church,  as  a  body,  are 
a  light  in  this  place.  One  year  since  I  stood  alone  on  the 
extreme  frontier.  There  was  no  church,  no  Sabbath  school, 
and  no  church  building.  Now  I  report  a  church  of  twenty-six 
members,  a  flourishing  Sabbath  school  and  a  house  of  worship 
enclosed.     We  expect  to  finish  the  house  just  as  early  as  we 


192  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

can  get  materials.     I  confidently  believe  we  shall  see  it  all  com- 
pleted, paid  for,  and  dedicated  by  the  first  of  June  next. 

The  month  of  December,  1856,  ushered  in  a  winter  which 
proved  to  be  one  of  even  greater  severity  than  the  preceding. 
A  series  of  snow  storms,  commencing  with  the  very  begin- 
ning of  the  month,  kept  the  ground  covered  until  March. 
The  snow  often  fell  to  the  depth  of  four  feet — was  much  of 
the  time  from  two  to  three  feet  on  a  level,  and  accompanied 
by  an  intense  cold,  which  seemed  to  know  no  abatement  for 
days  and  weeks  together.  But  hardships  and  privations 
were  for  a  time  forgotten  in  the  great  sorrow  which  had 
recently  come  upon  the  little  family.  On  the  23d  of  Novem- 
ber the  youngest  son,  the  pride  and  pet  of  the  household, 
after  a  few  weeks'  illness,  had  been  laid  away  in  the  lonely 
spot  which  those  early  settlers  had  selected  for  the  resting 
place  of  their  dead.  The  mother  wandered  about  the  house 
aimlessly,  not  knowing  what  to  do  with  the  care  and  love 
which  had  been  given  to  the  lost  one,  or  sat  down  dazed 
with  grief  and  folded  her  hands  in  silence.  But  some  of 
these  sad  thoughts  were  destined  to  be  soon  diverted  into 
another  channel. 

It  was  in  the  afternoon  of  one  of  those  severe  days  early 
in  this  month  that  Dr.  Miller,  a  young  physician  who  had 
made  his  home  in  Omaha  two  years  before,  called  to  tell  of 
a  case  of  suffering  which  had  just  been  discovered  by  him. 
In  one  room  of  an  unfinished  house  on  Harney  street  a 
father  was  lying  very  ill  with  inflammatory  rheumatism* 
and  in  the  bed  with  him  were  his  two  little  girls,  one  two 
and  the  other  four  years  of  age.  During  a  heavy  fall  of 
snow  the  wind  had  burst  open  the  door  and  fastened  it  open 
with  a  snow  drift,  so  that  the  little  girl  of  four  had  tried  in 
vain  to  close  it.  For  more  than  twenty-four  hours  they  had 
been  without  food  or  fire  or  care  of  any  kind,  and  had  not 
relief  come  must  soon  have  perished.  A  few  weeks  previous 
the  wife  and  mother  had  died,  and  a  little  babe  a  few  days 


THE    ADOPTED    DAUGHTER.  193 

old  soon  followed.  Mr.  Gaylord  at  once  accompanied  the 
doctor  to  the  dwelling  of  the  stricken  family.  A  nurse  was 
found,  provision  made  for  the  supply  of  their  wants,  and 
their  sufferings  relieved  as  far  as  possible.  Mr.  Gaylord 
took  the  youngest  child  home  and  Mrs.  A.  D.  Jones  cared 
for  the  other,  but  in  a  short  time  this  one  was  also  taken 
by  Mr.  Gaylord.  In  the  meantime  Dr.  Miller  was 
constant  in  his  attendance  upon  the  sick  man.  For  several 
months  the  little  ones  were  very  happy  together  in  the 
shelter  of  their  new  home.  Then  the  older  one  was  taken 
by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Miller,  but  afterward  the  failure  of  Mrs. 
Miller's  health  caused  the  transfer  of  this  little  girl  to  Mrs- 
Sahler,  one  of  the  early  residents  of  Omaha.  She  is  now 
living  with  her  husband  in  Defiance,  Ohio,  in  a  pleasant 
home  of  their  own.  Little  Georgia,  the  younger  one,  was 
adopted  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gaylord,  and  grew  up  to  woman- 
hood under  their  fostering  care.  She  was  married  in  1880, 
and  went  with  her  husband  to  live  in  Marietta,  Georgia. 
Her  grief  over  her  father's  death  could  scarcely  have  been 
surpassed  by  an  own  daughter.  On  the  next  Christmas 
after  this  sorrowful  event  she  thus  wrote  from  her  southern 
home  :  "  This  is  the  first  year  since  my  remembrance  that 
I  have  had  no  Christmas  greeting  from  my  dear  father. 
But  it  comforts  me  a  little  to  think  what  a  beautiful  greet- 
ing the  angels  must  have  given  him  in  his  heavenly  abode 
for  surely  they  always  observe  a  glorious  Christmas  in 
heaven."  And  again  :  "  I  keep  his  picture  hanging  over 
my  table,  and  it  does  me  good  to  look  up  to  his  pleasant 
face  and  to  remember  how  cheerful  he  was  under  all  cir- 
cumstances." But  in  a  year  and  one  month  after  her  mar- 
riage she  herself  lay  upon  her  dying  bed.  She  sent  for  the 
Presbyterian  minister  and  requested  him  to  baptize  her 
babe.  He  conversed  and  prayed  with  her — then  she  prayed 
very  earnestly,  remembering  all  her  loved  ones  in  a  most 
affectionate  manner.  With  perfect  composure  she  expressed 
her  wishes  in  regard  to  her  burial  and  the  care  of  the  child, 

14 


194  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

then  gradually  grew  weaker,  until,  with  her  hand  in  that 
of  her  husband,  she  passed  away  without  a  struggle. 

During  this  year,  as  well  as  those  which  followed,  much 
of  Mr.  Gaylord's  time  was  occupied  with  a  very  extensive 
correspondence.  Extracts  from  his  reports  to  the  Society, 
published  in  the  Home  Missionary,  drew  the  attention  of 
large  numbers  to  Nebraska,  and  he  received  numerous 
letters  of  inquiry  about  the  country.  Many  young  men 
came  to  him  with  letters  of  introduction — occasionally  some 
from  England,  bringing  letters  from  Elihu  Burritt.  Fre- 
quently he  was  able  to  exert  an  influence  on  these  as  they 
became  members  of  his  congregation,  and  often,  as  they 
were  strangers  in  a  strange  land,  he  took  them  into  his 
family,  and  gave  them  a  home  until  they  could  find  em- 
ployment, 

From  the  Home  Missionary  of  July,  1S57: 

We  have  two  new  congregations  established  in  Omaha  City, 
Episcopal  and  Old  School  Presb}rterian .  Both  will  attempt  to 
build  this  season. 

Since  we  came  to  this  new  land,  in  obedience  to  what 
seemed  the  call  of  the  Great  Master,  we  have  passed  through 
many  trials,  of  which  the  most  severe  was  the  death  of  our  son. 
It  did  seem  a  mysterious  providence,  that  the  lamb  of  our  little 
flock,  a  child  so  lovely,  so  promising,  whom  we  had  hoped  to 
train  for  eminent  usefulness  in  the  service  of  Christ,  should  be 
removed  by  death.  But  we  can  see  now  some  reasons  why  we 
were  called  to  suffer  affliction.  Repeatedly  since  have  we  been 
called  to  mingle  our  sympathies  with  the  afflicted,  and  to  point 
the  minds  of  those  who  feel  the  emptiness  of  earth  to  a  more 
substantial  and  enduring  portion,  for  support  and  consolation. 
Early  in  the  winter  we  stood  by  the  open  grave  of  an  only  son, 
a  lad  of  fifteen,  the  joy  and  the  hope  of  his  parents;  and  to-day 
the  father  of  that  youth  is  cold  in  death.  A  man  of  middle  life, 
the  stay  of  his  family,  who  has  mingled  largely  in  our  business 
circles,  has  passed  from  the  activities  qf  life  to  the  solemn 
scenes  of  eternity.     Frequently  of  late  has  death  entered  this 


/ 


f 

m 


,) 


FURNISHING   NEW   CHURCHES.  195 

community.  In  one  family  the  first  born  and  only  child,  of 
twelve  months,  has  been  cut  down  by  death;  in  another  an 
only  daughter.  Two  interesting  children,  aged  eleven  and 
eight  years,  were  buried  in  one  grave,  leaving  their  parents, 
who  were  strangers  among  us,  childless  and  almost  heartbroken . 

Later  in  the  same  year: 

The  house  is  now  entirely  completed,  and  last  Sabbath  was 
dedicated  with  appropriate  services  to  the  worship  of  the 
Triune  God .  It  was  well  filled  with  an  interested  congregation . 
There  are  forty-five  pews,  affording  seats  for  225  persons.  All 
express  themselves  well  pleased,  and  I  have  been  able  to  submit 
a  report  which  is  quite  satisfactory.  The  building  has  cost 
$4,500,  exclusive  of  furnishings. 

While  I  was  laboring  to  secure  its  completion,  Mrs.  Gay  lord 
and  other  ladies  were  busily  employed  for  weeks  in  their  sewing 
society  in  preparing  for  a  fair  to  provide  the  means  of  furnish- 
ing the  church.  The  fair  was  held  on  the  17th  and  18th  of 
June.  It  was  the  first  in  the  place,  and,  I  believe,  in  the  terri- 
tory. The  ladies  were  anxious  that  it  should  leave  only  a  good 
impression  upon  the  public  mind;  and  in  this  they  were  wholly 
successful.  While  they  afforded  much  innocent  amusement, 
they  carefully  guarded  against  those  things  that  are,  to  say  the 
least,  of  doubtful  propriety.  They  provided  generously,  and 
all  went  away  satisfied  and  pleased  with  the  wa}*-  in  which  it 
was  conducted.  They  took  in  between  $600  and  $700,  leaving 
about  §400  after  all  expenses  were  paid.  With  this  they  have 
obtained  blinds  and  the  furniture  complete  for  the  church. 

The  calls  from  without  have  been  frequent  and  urgent;  and 
I  have  so  far  yielded  to  them  as  to  be  absent  four  Sabbaths  dur- 
ing this  quarter.  Three  of  these  have  been  spent  at  Fontanelle, 
and  one  at  Piatt  ford,  on  the  Platte  river,  about  twenty-five 
miles  southwest  from  this.  Two  of  our  church  members  moved 
there  in  the  spring.  The  Sabbath  school  library  which  3-011 
sent  me  last  fall  I  gave  to  them,  and  it  has  been  the  means  of 
setting  in  operation  a  flourishing  Sabbath  school.  When  I  was 
there  the  school  passed  a  vote  of  thanks   for  the   books.     I 


196  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

preached  to  a  congregation  of  thirt}'  or  forty,  where  a  year 
since  there  was  scarcely  a  beginning.  This  library  will,  in  all 
probability,  lead  to  the  establishment  of  a  church,  which  may 
prove  a  great  blessing  to  the  community.  How  much  good  ten 
dollars  may  do! 

The  first  Sabbath  I  spent  at  Fontanelle  was  on  a  sacramental 
occasion.  On  the  second  I  attended  the  funeral  of  a  }roung 
lady,  whose  parents  were  not  professors  of  religion.  Again,  a 
fortnight  ago  last  Sabbath,  in  connection  with  a  Methodist 
quarterly  meeting,  held  two  weeks  previous,  a  religious  inter- 
est had  sprung  up,  which  led  to  protracted  services,  and  an 
urgent  request  that  I  should  be  present.  I  left  home  in  the 
stage,  and  having  no  means  of  conve3rance  further  than  Elk- 
horn  City,  was  compelled  to  walk  ten  or  twelve  miles  in  the 
hot  sun,  with  the  mercury  at  nearly  100°  in  the  shade.  I 
remained  till  Thursday  morning,  and  witnessed  some  glorious 
manifestations  of  the  divine  presence  in  the  work  of  salvation. 
God's  people  were  engaged,  back-sliders  (of  whom  there  was  a 
large  number)  were  reclaimed,  and  many  sinners  hopefully  con- 
verted to  God .  Congregationalists ,  Baptists  and  Methodists  all 
mingled  in  the  work,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  rested  upon  the 
people.  It  is  the  first  revival  in  Nebraska,  and  was  truly  a  time 
of  refreshing.  One  young  man,  a  son  of  a  praying  mother  in 
New  Hampshire,  who  had  sought  happiness  from  Maine  to  Cali- 
fornia, said:  "My  life  has  been  all  a  blank.  I  feel  that  I  have 
been  born  again .  I  have  just  begun  to  live  to  some  good  pur- 
pose." The  revival  is  the  more  remarkable,  as  occurring  in 
mid-summer,  in  a  very  busy  season  of  the  year,  and  without 
any  direct  labor  to  produce  such  a  state  of  things.  God  had 
worked  by  his  providence,  and  the  way  was  prepared. 

Owing  to  the  depression  in  money  matters  here  in  Omaha, 
the  spirit  of  speculation  has  been  checked;  and  this  is  having  a 
healthful  moral  influence.  Our  growth  as  a  city  has  been 
substantial,  and  sufficiently  rapid  to  give  assurance  of  future 
greatness.  Two  other  church  edifices  are  commenced;  one  by 
the  Old  School  Presbyterians,  and  one  by  the  Episcopalians. 


FIRST   NEBRASKA    ASSOCIATION.  197 

The  financial  reverses  which  seized  upon  the  prosperity 
of  our  country  in  1857,  and  held  it  with  such  a  mighty 
grasp,  will  not  soon  he  forgotten.  Some  of  the  causes  which 
led  to  it  will  more  easily  pass  from  memory  than  the  suf- 
ferings which  followed.  We  give  a  brief  presentation  of 
both  of  these.  The  reduction  of  duties  on  foreign  importa- 
tions under  a  revenue  tariff,  caused  an  increase  of  those 
importations  to  such  an  extent  that  a  very  large  proportion 
of  our  own  manufactories  were  compelled  to  shut  down. 
Public  improvements  and  private  enterprises  were  either 
delayed  or  given  up  entirely,  thus  throwing  thousands  of 
laborers  out  of  employment  and  reducing  them  and  their 
families  to  want.  Farmers  were  unable  to  sell  their  pro- 
duce, for  there  was  no  money  to  buy  it.  Banks  failed  and 
railroad  stocks  almost  ceased  to  yield  dividends.  Multi- 
tudes of  the  wealthy  were  reduced  to  poverty,  and  it 
seemed  as  if  a  commercial  earthquake,  almost  in  one  short 
year,  swallowed  up  the  industries  and  prosperity  of  our  fair 
land. 

Mr.  Gaylord  thus  speaks  of  its  effects  upon  church  inter- 
ests at  this  time. 

The  first  year  or  two  of  my  residence  in  Nebraska  was  a 
period  of  rapid  growth.  The  church  had  increased  from  nine 
to  fifty  and  they  said,  "Another  year  we  shall  support  our  min- 
ister without  home  missionary  aid."  Then  came  a  crisis — a 
reaction — and  the  people  scattered ,  some  of  them ,  especially  the 
young  men,  never  to  return. 

In  1856  Rev.  Issac  E.  Heaton  came  with  his  family  from 
Wisconsin  to  Nebraska  and  located  in  Fremont,  then  just 
beginning.  He  came  to  teach,  but  seeing  the  great  need  of 
ministers  commenced  preaching,  and  with  the  few  others 
shared  the  trials  and  experiences  of  pioneer  life  on  the 
frontier.  Within  a  few  months  he  succeeded  in  gathering  a 
church.  Then,  the  three  churches  of  Omaha,  Fontanelle 
and  Fremont,  met  at  Omaha  by  their  representatives,  and 


198  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

on  the  8th  of  August,  1857,  organized  the  Congregational 
Association  of  Nebraska.  The  first  regular  meeting  of  this 
Association  was  held  at  Fremont  on  the  first  three  days  of 
the  following  November. 

Early  in  September  of  this  year,  Mrs.  Gaylord  started  for 
the  east,  going  down  the  Missouri  on  the  steamboat  "Omaha" 
to  St.  Louis,  thence  eastward  to  Connecticut  by  rail.  Mr. 
Gaylord's  letters  during  her  absence  give  an  interesting 
chapter  in  the  history  of  Omaha  for  those  months. 

Omaha,  Septembers,  1857. — I  believe  at  St.  Joseph  you 
were  over  the  worst  part  of  the  river,  and  I  thought  of  you  this 
morning  as  looking  out  upon  St.  Louis.  Now,  you  may  be 
flying  behind  the  iron  horse  across  the  beautiful  prairies  of 
Illinois.  Stillness  and  loneliness  reign  at  home.  Sarah  has 
taken  Lizzie  to  Dr.  Miller's,  and  all  the  noise  we  hear  is  Georgia's 
prattle.  While  I  write  the  rocking  chair  is  in  motion,  and  I 
hear  her  happy  song.  She  is  very  well  and  seems  to  enjoy  her- 
self much.  *  *  *  Everybody  is  complaining  of  hard  times.  A. 
and  B.  have  failed.  B.  has  sold  out  to  H.  He  did  well  for  the 
church  in  getting  the  chandelier  and  other  articles  in  St.  Louis. 
The  expected  weddings  came  off  on  Tuesdaj^  and  Wednesday 
evenings.  Mr.  Root  was  married  by  Mr.  Skinner,  and  Mr. 
Jones  by  Mr.  Watson.  *  *  *  You  were  very  fortuuate  in  taking 
the  Omaha.  The  Hannibal  did  not  leave  until  the  next  morn- 
ing; the  Asa  AVilgus  has  gone  above;  the  Alonzo  Child  and 
Watossa  have  just  arrived  and  will  leave  to-morrow.  Willie 
H —  has  been  very  sick  and  is  still  quite  feeble.  Mrs.  Smith  is 
encouraged  by  thirty-two  pupils  in  her  school.  Tell  Ralph  his 
house  stands  as  he  left  it.  I  trust  he  will  be  a  good  bo}r  and  a 
help  to  his  dear  mother.  Do  not  give  yourself  any  anxiety 
about  us  but  enjoy  your  visit  as  much  as  you  can. 

September  9 . — On  Saturday  I  went  to  Bellevue  and  preached 
twice  on  Sunday  to  very  good  congregations.  Mr.  Goss 
preached  acceptably  here.  There  is  very  little  interest  in 
religious  things  there.  The  Presbyterians  have  commenced 
building  a  church,  but  think  they  will  not  go  on,  owing  to  the 


HEAVY    FAILURES    AND    SICKNESS.  199 

difficulty  of  collecting  the  subscriptions.  An  uncomfortable 
state  of  things  exists  in  B.  in  regard  to  claims,  and  much 
injustice  is  done.  Mr.  Lovejoy  has  suffered  considerably  and 
met  with  some  losses.  I  hope  to  organize  a  church  there  ere 
long,  but  do  not  feel  very  sanguine  about  it.  Returned  on 
Monday  and  found  a  draft  for  8100  from  the  A.H.  M.  S.  With 
it  I  paid  850  borrowed  of  Mr.  Kellom  and  some  other  bills.  A 
good  part  of  the  quarter's  salary  is  still  due.  In  hard  times  you 
know  the  minister  must  wait.  Was  called  yesterday  to  attend 
the  funeral  of  a  child  about  the  age  of  our  little  Josie  when  he 
died.  It  was  the  only  child  of  Mr.  Pierce,  a  brother-in-law  of 
Mr.  YanCamp.  They  are  deeply  afflicted.  If  you  have  met 
with  no  hindrance,  I  suppose  to-day  }*ou  have  exchanged  greet- 
ings with  old  friends  and  kindred  dear.  May  your  pleasure  be 
pure  and  unalloyed. 

*  *  *  The  best  men  are  getting  their  notes  renewed. 
The  recent  heavy  failures  in  New  York  awaken  fear  and  appre- 
hension here.  Our  crops  are  promising,  although  the 
grasshoppers  are  thick,  thicker,  thickest.  The  garden  is  liter- 
ally alive  with  them. 

Dr.  H.  bought  A.  A:  C.'s  goods  at  sixt}-  cents  on  the  dollar 
and  is  selling  them  at  eastern  prices.  Tell  Ralph  that  his  colt 
is  growing  finely.  Does  he  not  sometimes  want  to  see  his 
papa  ? 

Mr.  Parks  has  sent  an  urgent  request  for  me  to  come  and 
see  him.  Mr.  Loveland  thinks  him  in  the  last  stages  of 
consumption . 

September  15. — Had  I  known  you  would  spend  a  Sabbath 
in  St.  Louis,  I  would  have  given  you  a  letter  of  introduction 
to  Dr.  Post.  Hope  you  heard  him  preach.  Thought  of  you 
last  Sabbath  as  sitting  in  the  old  church,  and  listening  again  to 
soul-stirring  eloquence.  "We  have  to-day  made  arrangements 
for  stoves  to  put  in  our  church — two  above,  requiring  118  feet 
of  pipe,  and  one  in  the  basement.  We  get  them  at  a  reduction 
of  815,  and  the  whole  cost,  including  the  setting  up,  will  not 
exceed  870,  so  there  will  be  money  left  in  the  treasury. 
Amongst  the  bills  I  obtained  for  you  was  810  on  the  Reciprocity 


200  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

Bank,  which  has  temporarily  suspended.  I  called  at  Dr.  Miller's 
yesterday  to  see  Lizzie.  She  was  well  and  looked  very  nice. 
Mr.  Bridges  [the  father  of  these  little  girls]  is  going  down  the 
river  in  a  few  days,  hoping  to  improve  his  health  in  a  warmer 
climate.  Tell  Ralph  that  Willie  H.  is  better  and  calls  for  him. 
Willie's  sister,  Cornelia,  is  ill  with  the  same  fever.  *  *  * 
Mrs.  Richardson  is  at  home  and  drops  in  occasionally  to  look 
after  our  welfare,  but  many  are  leaving  for  the  winter. 

Building  goes  on  briskly.  The  third  story  of  the  hotel  is 
rising  and  Dr.  Lowe's  house  and  the  postoffice  are  going  for- 
ward, but  the  court-house  stands  still.  Mr.  B.  is  building  two 
store-houses  opposite  Mr.  Megeath's  and  the  State  House  is 
being  roofed. 

Septembek  24. — Tuesday  morning  I  went  down  to  see  Mr. 
Parks,  and  found  him  more  comfortable  than  I  expected.  His 
trouble  is  spasmodic  asthma,  now  settling  on  the  lungs  in  form 
of  consumption.  My  visit  seemed  to  be  a  great  comfort  to  him 
and  the  family.  He  feels  that  it  is  good  for  him  that  he  has 
been  afflicted.  I  returned  b}r  way  of  Bellevue.  Mr.  Love  joy 
is  in  danger  of  losing  five  or  six  thousand  dollars  in  Chicago. 

Well,  my  dear  wife,  we  are  some  distance  apart.  Three 
weeks  before  we  can  write  and  receive  an  answer.  How  much 
may  transpire  in  that  time!  *  *  *  I  know  you  will 
want  to  keep  posted  in  regard  to  passing  events.  These  are 
trying  times  for  Omaha.  As  I  went  into  Farnam  street  on 
Monday  morning,  between  nine  and  ten  o'clock,  I  saw  a  large 
company  of  men  evidently  much  excited.  I  had  not  seen  so 
much  life  and  stir  since  election,  and  knew  "something  was  in 
the  wind."  On  inquiry,  I  was  told,  "The  Western  Exchange 
Bank  is  down."  This  was  indeed  a  surprise,  as  the  bank  had 
stood  high  in  the  confidence  of  the  people.  There  were  eighty 
thousand  dollars  of  deposits,  all  of  which  is  lost.  It  is  a  severe 
blow  to  our  community  and  will  cause  real  distress.  It  shakes 
confidence  in  all  banks,  and  men  will  grow  more  and  more  sus- 
picious. Mone}r  is  very  scarce.  Four  and  five  per  cent,  a 
month  is  the  current  rate  of  interest.  *  *  *  The  new 
hotel  is  advancing,  but  the  hard  times  make  their  load  a  heavy 


BANK    FAILURES.  201 

one.  Mr.  Woolworth  is  home  again.  Last  Saturday  Mr. 
Corkhill,  a  Bible  agent,  called  and  wanted  to  make  arrange- 
ments for  a  general  meeting  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a 
County  Bible  Society .  The  meeting  was  held  on  Sabbath  evening , 
and  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars  pledged  for  the  object . 
Dr.  Monell  subscribed  fifty  dollars  of  this  amount.  I  forgot  to 
say  that  the  Fontanelle  Bank  of  Belle vue  collapsed  on  Monday 
in  connection  with  the  Western  Exchange.  I  hardly  know 
what  to  do  in  regard  to  sending  you  money.  It  is  almost  un- 
safe to  buy  a  draft,  lest  the  bank  on  which  it  is  to  be  drawn 
should  shut  up  before  it  could  reach  you.  You  can  have  little 
conception  of  the  state  of  things  just  now.  If  I  borrow  here  I 
must  pay  four  per  cent,  per  month. 

There  is  no  prevailing  sickness,  but  many  are  complaining. 
Mrs.  O.  and  S.  O.  have  been  quite  ill,  but  the  latter  has  recov- 
ered sufficiently  to  go  to  Indiana.  Mr.  Gant's  family  will  move 
to  Kenosha  in  two  or  three  weeks.  Mrs.  Thayer  and  Major 
Armstrong's  family  are  going  east  to  spend  the  winter. 

There  has  been  much  anxiety  for  the  past  few  days  in  regard 
to  city  property  outside  the  entered  district.  It  is  feared  there 
are  some  who  wish  to  crowd  in  and  get  a  pre-emption  on  the 
land,  and  thus  rob  the  real  owners  of  their  rights.  But  I  learn 
that  arrangements  are  being  made  to  have  different  persons, 
living  upon  the  several  quarters,  pre-empt  them  by  common 
consent,  and  then  deed  over  to  the  city  council  in  trust  for  the 
owners,  who  will  in  this  way  get  warranty  deeds  for  their  lots. 
I  trust  the  crisis  through  which  we  are  passing  will  do  us  good 
as  a  community.  It  will  check  a  spirit  of  speculation  and 
extravagance,  promote  industry,  stimulate  production ,  and  pre- 
pare the  way  for  greater  and  more  substantial  prosperity  in  the 
future. 

Octoher  6. — Think  when  you  return  I  can  go  down  to 
Danville  by  private  conveyance  and  meet  you  there.  It  would 
be  pleasant  to  see  the  dear  people  of  my  former  charge  and  have 
a  little  change.  A  respite  of  three  or  four  weeks  would  be  re- 
freshing to  soul  and  body,  and  better  fit  me  for  the  labors  of 
the  winter.     Mr.  Gridley  has  returned  to  Omaha  and  with  him 


202  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

a  sister  of  Mr.  Kellom.  This  is  Sarah's  birthday,  and  she  is 
quite  cheerful  and  happy.  *  *  *  The  failures  in  Phila- 
delphia have  affected  us  very  seriously.  There  is  but  little 
money  in  circulation  except  city  scrip,  and  this  cannot  be  used 
out  of  the  place.  Saratoga  is  resting  with  crushing  weight 
upon  some  who  have  invested  there.  The  O.  S.  have  put  off 
building  until  next  year.  *  *  *  Mr.  Seely  was  married 
last  night  to  Mr.  Hanscom's  sister.  You  have  doubtless  read 
full  accounts  of  that  terrible  calamity,  the  loss  of  the  Central 
America  with  its  precious  cargo  of  human  beings.  How  sad 
and  solemn  thus  to  be  ushered  into  eternity! 

We  hear  from  Danville  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dudley  have  just 
buried  their  little  son  and  are  inconsolable.  And  we  also  hear 
from  Denmark  the  sorrowful  intelligence  of  the  death  of  Miss 
Wilson.  But  oh,  how  enviable  her  condition!  She  has  done 
with  suffering,  and  is  admitted  to  the  joys  of  the  blessed. 

October  13. — We  have  no  frost  yet,  and  the  weather  is 
delightful — have  scarcely  needed  a  fire  in  my  study  for  two 
weeks .  But  there  is  some  sickness ,  mostly  ague  and  intermittent 
fever .  Mr .  Hall ,  Mrs .  Kellom ,  Mr .  and  Mrs .  McAusland  and  Miss 
Graham  are  sick.  Also  Mrs.  Byers  and  Mr.  B.'s  sister.  Mrs. 
Miller  was  with  them  until  nearly  worn  out.  A  Mr.  Horbach, 
brother  of  the  one  who  boarded  at  Mr.  Goodwill's,  was  buried 
on  Sabbath  afternoon.  He  died  at  Mr.  Shinn's  after  quite  a 
long  illness.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rice,  of  Council  Bluffs,  returned 
from  the  east  two  weeks  since.  They  came  up  the  Missouri  on 
the  Admiral,  but  she  sank  not  far  from  Weston.  Last  Sabbath 
our  congregation  was  reduced  fully  one-half  by  sickness.  Mr. 
Caldwell  united  with  us  by  letter.  Mr.  Rice  went  to  Fontanelle 
and  spent  the  Sabbath,  returned  on  Tuesday  and  stayed  over 
night.  I  received  a  letter  from  a  gentleman  in  Fort  Calhoun 
last  week,  asking  me  to  pay  them  a  visit.  There  are  five  Con- 
gregational members  from  Lowell,  Illinois,  who  have  their 
letters  and  are  desirous  of  being  organized  into  a  church.  I 
have  sent  an  appointment  to  preach  there  to-morrow  night. 
Shall  explore  the  ground  and  perhaps  form  a  church  soon . 

Received   a   letter  from    Rev.  Mr.  McEwen,    of    Enfield, 


SCARCITY    OF    MONEY.  203 

Massachusetts,  saying  that  two  or  three  months  since  he  sent 
me  a  draft  for  $50,  and  asking-  if  I  had  received  it.  Of  course 
I  was  obliged  to  answer  in  the  negative.  [This  draft,  which 
had  been  stolen,  was  afterwards  recovered.]  I  learn  that  Mr. 
Parks  is  better.  Mr.  Orchard  has  commenced  building  on  the 
corner  of  Thirteenth  and  Howard  streets,  directly  east  of  Mr. 
Homan's. 

October  22. — Your  constant  trust  in  God  I  hope  has  not 
deserted  you,  as  you  have  learned  ere  this  of  the  utter  impossi- 
bility of  sending  you  any  funds.  Drafts  are  altogether  unsafe, 
and  gold  is  worth  25  per  cent.  Winter  is  approaching  and  it 
is  important  that  you  be  on  your  way  back  by  the  second  or 
third  week  in  November.  You  will  have  to  abandon  the  idea 
of  coming  up  the  river,  as  boats  have  almost  stopped  running. 
It  rained  on  Wednesday  evening,  but  I  preached  at  Calhoun  to 
a  good  congregation.  Have  promised  to  be  with  them  next 
Sabbath.  I  found  there  a  grandson  of  Cotton  Mather.  He  is 
the  father  of  Mrs.  Stevens,  and  is  between  sixty  and  seventy 
years  of  age.  If  I  drive  down  to  Danville,  shall  endeavor  to 
leave  here  November  10.  Must  be  at  Fremont  at  our  first 
meeting  of  Association  on  November  1 ,  and  November  8 
preach  my  home  missionary  sermon. 

There  is  still  much  sickness  among  the  people.  It  seems  to 
be  different  from  anything  physicians  have  seen  —  is  very 
obstinate,  and  does  not  yield  readily  to  medicine.  I  long  to  have 
the  time  come  when  we  will  all  be  together  again .  Am  trying 
to  fix  things  for  the  winter,  so  as  to  be  in  readiness  to  go  and 
meet  you. 

October  27. — I  sit  down  this  morning  to  write  you,  as  I 
suppose,  the  last  letter  I  shall  direct  to  Newington,  and  hope  it 
will  reach  jtou  ,  as  I  think  }rou  will  not  be  ready  to  leave  for  home 
before  the  10th  of  November.  Your  last  to  me  lifted  a  heavy 
burden  of  anxiety  from  my  mind.  I  had  an  opportunity  some 
days  since  to  get  a  draft  of  $50  on  the  A.  II.  M.  S.  or  one  of 
$200  on  Boston,  but  could  get  nothing  to  buy  them  with  and 
had  to  let  them  go.  I  feared  you  would  feel  troubled  because 
I  could  not  send  the  mone}r,  but  the  manner  in  which  you  have 


204  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

met  the  difficulty  has  entirely  relieved  me  from  those  fears. 
Money  is  now  worth  here  from  four  to  six  per  cent,  per  month. 
I  shall  direct  my  next  draft  from  the  A .  H .  M .  S .  to  be  sent  to 
Mr.  Deming,  to  apply  on  what  you  borrow  of  him. 

Expect  to  commence  my  journey  on  the  10th,  and  hope  to 
be  in  Danville  by  the  20th.  Perhaps  you  had  better  leave  on 
the  12th — stop  in  Oberlin  and  visit  at  Mrs.  Miner's  over  the 
Sabbath.  I  do  not  think  it  would  be  wrong  for  me  to  have  a 
little  vacation  after  two  years  of  steady  labor,  and  cannot  see 
that  any  interest  will  materially  suffer.  I  will  take  Sarah  and 
place  her  in  school  in  Danville  or  Denmark,  if  j^ovt  think  best. 
She  is  anxious  to  go.  I  believe  Mrs.  Orchard  will  take  care  of 
Georgia.  Then  I  am  not  willing  you  and  Ralph  should  endure 
the  fatigue  and  exposure  of  crossing  Iowa  in  the  stage  at  this 
season  of  the  year .  I  have  never  regretted  that  you  have  taken 
this  journey,  but  have  been  glad  all  the  time.  Nothing  will 
make  me  sorry,  unless  you  are  compelled  to  stay  all  winter.  I 
cannot  be  sufficiently  thankful  that,  hard  as  the  times  are,  we 
have  the  prospect  of  going  through  without  serious  trouble, 
unless  my  salary  should  be  cut  off  or  greatly  curtailed.  You 
and  I  know  how  to  practice  economy,  and  that  is  not  likely  to 
hurt  our  influence  for  some  time  to  come.  Mrs.  Byers  con- 
tinues very  ill,  but  the  Mr.  Boyds  are  better,  and  Mr.  Hall  is 
at  work  again.     Mrs.  Sahler  is  quite  sick  with  fever. 

Now  I  have  some  very  good  news  to  tell  you.  Last  Satur- 
day I  went  to  Fort  Calhoun,  preached  in  the  evening  and  at 
half  past  ten  on  Sabbath  morning,  then  organized  a  Congrega- 
tional church  of  seven  members,  one  of  them  being  the  grand- 
son of  Cotton  Mather,  spoken  of  in  my  last  letter.  Without 
stopping  for  refreshments  I  drove  to  Florence,  to  fulfill  an  ap- 
pointment I  had  left  there  for  half  past  two .  I  preached  in  the 
Methodist  church,  and  at  the  close  of  service  organized  another 
church  with  seven  members,  viz:  Messrs.  Barrows,  Goodrich 
and  Jefferson  with  their  wives,  and  Mrs.  Lemon.  I  enjoyed 
much  through  the  day,  but  was  too  weary  to  sleep  at  night. 
Yesterday  it  rained  incessantly ,  but  there  were  four  assignments 


GIVE    AND   IT  SHALL   BE    GIVEN   YOU.  205 

in  the  city.     How  these  hard  times  are  weighing  the  financial 
standing  of  business  men! 

November  3 . — I  received  yours  last  night  on  my  return  from 
Fremont.  "Wish  I  could  leave  this  week,  but  cannot.  I  go 
to-morrow  to  Fontanelle  to  many  Mr.  Holton  to  Mrs.  Corliss' 
sister.  I  can  agree  with  Mr.  Burt,  when  he  says  of  the  meeting 
of  Association  at  Fremont,  "It  was  a  blessed  meeting."  How 
I  would  love  to  meet  you  at  Burlington ,  when  the  old  iron  horse 
comes  rushing  up  to  the  "Father  of  Waters"  !  But  as  we  have 
no  railroad  from  the  "big  muddy,"  I  must  take  Dolly,  and  will 
get  another  horse,  and  a  light,  easy-running  wagon  of  Mr. 
Gibson, which  I  shall  take  home  on  my  return  from  the  wedding. 
The  Lord  keep  us  all,  and  unite  us  again  at  the  place  so  long 
called  home. 

This  journey  of  three  hundred  miles  across  Iowa,  from 
the  Missouri  to  the  Mississippi,  was  a  tedious  one,  owing  to 
an  abundance  of  rain.  The  family  met  and  passed  a  de- 
lightful Thanksgiving  amongst  the  people  they  had  loved 
so  well. 

A  little  incident  will  be  related  here  to  show  that,  while 
we  should  never  give  for  the  sake  of  having  it  returned, 
yet  very  often  even  in  this  life,  "a  cup  of  cold  water,  given 
in  the  name  of  a  disciple,"  does  not  "lose  its  reward."  A 
beloved  Christian  family  had  removed  from  Danville  to 
place  a  daughter  in  the  college  at  Oberlin  and  to  aid  a  son 
soon  to  graduate  there.  One  fatal  night  after  all  but  one 
had  retired  to  rest,  their  dwelling  was  discovered  to  be  on 
fire.  The  family,  five  in  number,  escaped  with  their  lives 
but  saved  nothing,  for  the  house  with  all  its  contents  was 
soon  a  mass  of  ruins.  On  the  way  from  New  England  west, 
a  short  visit  was  made  to  these  friends,  and  on  leaving,  a 
small  sum  of  money  was  urged  upon  them.  On  arriving  at 
Burlington,  Iowa,  Mr.  Hedge,  a  long-time  friend,  presented 
Mr.  G.  with  a  twenty-dollar  gold  piece.  At  Danville,  a  note 
supposed  to  be  worthless  was  purchased  for  its  full  value 


206  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

by  one  who  had  been  a  bitter  opposer  of  the  gospel,  and 
other  gifts  were  received.  On  reaching  Lewis,  Cass  county, 
a  Sabbath  was  spent  in  the  hospitable  family  of  Mr.  Mills. 
Mr.  M.  facetiously  inquired  if  ministers  ever  had  any  use 
for  money.  On  being  told  that  they  did  sometimes  need  a 
little,  money  and  valuable  family  supplies  were  freely  be- 
stowed, bringing  to  mind  the  words  of  Christ,  "Give  and  it 
shall  be  given  you,  good  measure  pressed  down  and  running 
over." 

But  to  return  to  our  narrative.  After  some  days  spent 
in  this  pleasant  reunion,  they  again  set  forward  toward 
their  western  home.  As  there  was  no  other  way  for  them 
to  reach  Omaha  they  were  once  more  under  the  necessity 
of  crossing  Iowa  in  the  month  of  December,  leaving  Sarah, 
the  eldest  daughter,  to  continue  her  studies  in  the  school  at 
Danville.  At  Mt.  Pleasant  the}'  found  Mrs.  Booth,  another 
of  their  former  beloved  Danville  parishioners,  dying  of 
cancer.  On  entering  her  room  she  welcomed  them  by 
saying,  "I  am  almost  in  heaven"! 

Here  they  were  told  the  river  could  not  be  crossed  on 
the  direct  route  westward  on  account  of  the  high  water. 
The  only  alternative  was  to  go  north  ten  or  twelve  miles, 
where  they  might  possibly  be  taken  over  on  a  flat  boat.  A 
tiresome  ride,  much  of  the  way  through  mud  thick  and 
soft,  brought  them  to  this  place,  but  the  boat  was  sunk.  A 
mill  and  a  half  dozen  little  tenements  composed  the  town. 
Here  they  decided  to  remain  over  night,  hoping  that  in  the 
morning  a  kind  Providence  would  throw  some  light  on  the 
difficulties  that  environed  them ;  and  a  kind  Providence,  as 
is  often  the  case,  instead  of  removing  obstacles,  or  making 
an  easy  way  through  them,  seemed  to  direct  that  they  them- 
selves should  make  the  most  persevering  efforts  to  go  for- 
ward. Daylight  showed  that  the  only  way  was  to  attempt 
fording  the  river.  So  the  horses  were  harnessed  and  Mr. 
G.  drove  into  the  broad  and  swollen  stream.  Several  men 
stood  on  the  shore  with  a  skiff  at  hand,  ready  to  afford 


AT    HOME.  207 

help,  almost  expecting  the  deep  water  and  strong  current 
would  overwhelm  them,  but  the  other  side  was  reached  in 
safety.  Several  times  as  they  went  on  their  way — once  in 
the  streets  of  Pella — the  mud  was  so  deep  that  the  faithful 
horses  could  not  proceed  until  help  was  obtained,  and  when 
at  last  the  Missouri  was  reached,  the  ice  was  running  so  as 
to  make  crossing  both  difficult  and  dangerous.  But  this 
trouble  was  surmounted  and  the  little  family  were  once 
more  safe  at  home.  Here  a  pleasant  surprise  awaited  them. 
In  their  absence  Mrs.  Richardson,  always  intent  on  doing 
good,  assisted  by  a  few  ladies  of  kindred  spirit,  had  fur- 
nished the  little  study,  making  it  both  convenient  and 
attractive.  It  is  doubtful  if  the  owner  of  a  stately  mansion 
could  have  placed  a  higher  value  upon  its  most  beautiful 
apartment,  than  did  the  worker  upon  this  quiet  and  pleas- 
ant room.  Again  the  threads  of  daily  life  were  taken 
up,  and  the  work  resumed  which  had  already  grown  to 
gigantic  proportions. 


VIII. 


A  GROWING  FIELD 


1859-1864. 


is 


"Always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord.' 

God  blesses  still  the  generous  thought, 
And  still  the  fitting  word  He  speeds, 

And  truth,  at  His  requiring  taught, 
He  quickens  into  deeds. 


-Whittier. 


Intent  on  Him,  we  do  not  mark  or  see 

The  hard  things  by  the  way. 
It  is  enough  that  we  are  led,  and  He 

Whose  guidance  we  obey 
Has  gone  before  and  knows  how  rough  it  is. 

— Selected. 

Over  the  Rocky  Mountains'  height, 
Like  ocean  in  its  tided  might, 
The  living  sea  rolls  onward,  on  ! 

— Mrs.  Hale. 

Onward  they  march  embattled,  to  the  sound 

Of  martial  harmony;  fifes,  cornets,  drums, 

That  rouse  the  sleepy  soul  to  arms,  and  bold 

Heroic  deeds. 

— Somerville. 

Who  dies  in  vain 

Upon  his  country's  warfields,  and  within 

The  shadow  of  her  altars  ? 

— Mrs.  Hemans. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A   Growing  Field. 

Chukch  Organization — Pike's  Peak  Excitement  —  Emigration  —  A 
Trip  East  to  Secure  Funds  for  Fontanelle  College — St.  Joseph 
— Quincy — Illinois  Association — New  York  City — Henry  Ward 
Beecher — Large  Sympathy  But  Little  Money — Commencement 
at  New  Haven — Class  Meeting — A  Cold  Summer — Return  Home 
— An  Anniversary — The  War — Nebraska  Troops — Busy  Days — 
"Home  Missionary  Box" — The  Bell — Organization  of  Church 
at  Nebraska  City — Donation  Party — Union  Pacdjic  Railro ad. 

We  quote  from  Mr.  Gaylord's  historical  paper  of  October, 
1878,  read  before  a  State  Association : 

Seeing  the  land  all  unoccupied  I  continued  to  act  the  part  of 
a  bishop  for  the  territory  of  my  adoption,  and  at  the  same  time 
cared  for  the  church  at  Omaha  until  November,  1864.  During 
the  year  1856,  I  extended  my  labors  to  Belle vue,  ten  miles 
south,  and  Florence  and  Calhoun  on  the  north.  In  the  last  two 
named  places  I  formed  churches  by  special  request  of  the  people, 
which  at  the  time  seemed  very  promising.  Afterwards  I  visited 
Decatur,  sixty  miles  north,  and  Brownville,  seventy-five  miles 
south,  and  organized  churches  in  both  places.  But  being  un- 
supplied  with  Congregational  ministers  to  watch  over  and 
strengthen  them,  they  were  abandoned  to  the  Presbyterians, 
and  now  both  are  prosperous  and  efficient  Presbyterian  churches . 

This  brief  account  is  only  one  instance  among  similar 
ones  which  might  be  cited,  showing  how  many  Congrega- 
tional churches  through  the  home  missionary  fields  of  the 
west  have  been  lost  to  the  denomination  for  want  of  pastors. 
Why  it  should  be  so  is  a  problem  the  writer  of  this  is 
unable  to  solve.  Is  it  because  they  have  less  of  an  aggres- 
sive sectarian  spirit  than  their  Presbyterian  brethren  ?     Or 


212  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

are  they  lacking  in  self-denial  for  Christ's  sake — more 
unwilling  to  go  into  difficult  places,  where  there  is  hard 
work  and  small  pay,  and  use  their  time  and  talents  to  save 
lost  men  and  look  up  stray  sheep?  Is  the  famine — the 
dearth  of  ministers  greater  and  more  constant  in  the  Con- 
gregational body  than  any  other?  Or  have  all  these 
combined  to  produce  the  result  here  spoken  of?  One  thing 
we  do  know  to  be  true — they  have  more  means  at  command 
than  their  Congregational  brethren,  for  there  is  more 
wealth  represented  in  their  membership,  and  their  benevo- 
lent societies  have  a  richer  constituency  from  which  to 
draw  to  fill  up  their  treasuries.  This  is  one  reason  why 
they  can  send  forth  so  many  ministers  to  supply  vacant 
fields. 

Mr.  Gaylord  occasionally  took  the  long  ride  to  Decatur 
to  look  after  the  spiritual  interests  of  that  church  and 
people.  Once  in  winter,  face  and  ears  were  frost  bitten,  and 
at  another  time  in  returning  a  slough  was  to  be  crossed. 
The  mud  was  thick  and  deep,  and  when  about  half  way 
over  the  horse  decided  that  he  could  proceed  no  further. 
Mr.  Gaylord  released  the  buggy,  and  then  by  dint  of  much 
coaxing,  persuaded  the  animal  to  flounder  through  to  the 
other  side.  Then  procuring  a  long  rope  he  fastened  one 
end  to  the  horse,  and  wading  back  secured  the  other  end  to 
the  buggy,  which  was  thus  drawn  out  upon  solid  ground. 
In  1858  Rev.  Mr.  Page  went  to  labor  there,  but  advancing 
age  and  poor  health  required  him  to  return  to  Ohio  at  the 
close  of  one  year. 

In  1858  gold  was  discovered  in  Colorado,  and  the  Pike's 
Peak  excitement  began  to  move  the  country.  The  popula- 
tion of  Omaha  materially  diminished  during  this  period- 
In  1856  the  government  had  ordered  the  construction  of  a 
military  road  from  the  Missouri  river  at  Omaha  to  new  Fort 
Kearney,  200  miles  west.  This  helped  to  make  Omaha  a 
point  of  attraction  to  the  thousands  who  were  leaving  their 
homes  in  all  parts  of  the  country  for  the  newly  found  gold 


EMIGRATION   TO    COLORADO.  213 

fields  of  Colorado.  Multitudes  stopped  here  for  rest  and  to 
lay  in  supplies  for  the  remainder  of  the  journey.  This 
greatly  stimulated  business  and  increased  trade  to  an 
extent  which  helped  Omaha  to  tide  over  the  hardest  period 
of  the  "  hard  times."  In  the  spring  of  1859  the  emigra- 
tion was  still  greater,  and  for  many  months  the  city  looked 
like  a  military  encampment,  tents  covering  the  vacant  lots, 
and  covered  wagons  everywhere,  drawn  by  oxen,  mules  and 
horses.  The  great  thoroughfare,  of  which  Omaha  was  the 
gateway,  was  lined  with  pilgrims  to  the  new  Eldorado^ 
Small  companies  of  men,  taking  their  little  all  on  their 
backs,  commenced  the  long  pilgrimage  on  foot.  Of  the 
multitudes  who  went  to  the  land  of  gold  at  this  time,  num- 
bers had  only  sufficient  to  get  there,  and  had  nothing  left  to 
live  upon  while  prospecting.  Hundreds  of  these  started 
back  and  many,  who  could  not  beg  their  way,  became  so 
desperate  as  to  steal  from  those  they  met,  taking  from 
emigrants  provisions,  clothing,  and  even  horses  and  mules, 
if  they  were  strong  enough.  To  set  against  this,  one  man 
took  out  $40,000  within  one  week,  and  nearly  lost  his 
reason  in  consequence. 

December,  1858: 

The  close  of  this  year  leads  me  to  review  the  three  years  of 
missionary  labor  in  Nebraska,  in  connection  with  the  American 
Home  Missionary  Society.  When  I  came  here,  all  was  a  moral 
waste ;  I  stood  alone  at  the  gateway  of  this  important  Territory ; 
upon  me  devolved  the  solemn  responsibility  of  setting  in  opera- 
tion a  train  of  influences  that  are  to  flow  on  with  growing 
strength  after  my  work  on  earth  is  done.  There  was  no  church 
to  look  to  for  aid  and  encouragement;  I  was  a  stranger  among 
strangers,  without  a  house  of  worship,  a  Sabbath  school,  or  a 
meeting  for  social  prayer.  Now,  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath  I 
meet  in  a  Christian  temple  an  intelligent  and  attentive  congre- 
gation. Here  is  a  church  of  fifty  members,  an  interesting 
Sabbath  school  and  Bible  class,  and  from  week  to  week  we  meet 


214  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

in  the  social  circle  of  prayer  to  supplicate  God's  rich  blessing. 
Now  I  look  out  upon  six  other  churches  of  like  faith.  Most  of 
these  I  have  been  permitted  to  gather  in  places  which,  three 
years  since,  were  almost  without  inhabitants. 

In  the  providence  of  God,  the  foundations  of  an  important 
literary  institution  have  been  laid,  and  the  work  of  instruction 
is  now  to  be  commenced.  Times  have  been,  and  still  are,  very 
hard.  While  money  abounds  in  New  York,  here  we  have 
almost  none  of  it.  Many  of  the  people  have  left  temporarily 
and  there  are  probably  not  more  than  half  as  many  people  in 
Omaha  now  as  there  were  twelve  months  since. 

April,  1859: 

This  city  has  been  my  only  regular  place  of  preaching, 
although  a  large  amount  of  labor  has  been  performed  outside 
this  particular  field.  We  are  cheerful  and  happy  in  our  work, 
and  though  it  has  its  trials,  yet  in  it  we  desire  to  spend  so  much 
of  life  as  still  remains.  Regularly  as  the  Sabbath  has  returned, 
has  the  sanctuary  been  opened,  morning  and  evening,  for  wor- 
ship, and  the  word  of  God  has  been  preached  by  your  missionary. 
*  *  *  Two  or  three  classes  of  Danish  children  attend 
the  Sabbath  school  constantly.  They  are  taught  to  read  our 
language,  and  instructed  in  the  first  principles  of  religion;  and 
the  interest  they  manifest  is  truly  encouraging. 

One  of  our  prominent  citizens,  an  early  settler,  an  able  and 
successful  lawyer,  is  brought  apparently  near  to  the  verge  of 
eternity.  A  little  less  than  one  year  since,  all  his  prospects 
were  exceedingly  flattering.  With  ample  means,  in  the  full 
vigor  of  early  manhood,  temperate  and  correct  in  his  habits,  he 
was  looking  forward  to  many  years  on  earth.  But  last  July  he 
was  laid  aside  from  the  activities  of  life  by  illness,  and  from 
that  time  has  seemed  to  be  slowly  declining.  For  the  last  two 
months  I  have  visited  him  regularly  as  often  as  once,  and  fre- 
quently twice,  in  a  week,  and  in  my  visits  have  sought  to  turn 
his  mind  to  the  consideration  of  another  world.  Prayer  and 
reading  of  the  Scriptures  are  a  pleasure  to  him. 

The  great  subject  of  thought  and  conversation  among  our 


FONTANELLE   COLLEGE.  215 

citizens  is  the  discovery  of  gold  at  the  base  of  the  Rocky 
mountains.  In  those  regions  where  it  is  found,  it  is  diffused 
every  where  through  the  soil  in  the  form  of  scale  gold,  furnish- 
ing ground  for  the  conclusion  that  farther  up  in  the  mountains 
it  will  be  found  in  larger  quantities.  Already  some  discoveries 
of  shot  gold  and  gold  bearing  quartz  are  reported.  The  result 
is  that  a  great  number  of  our  citizens,  both  good  and  bad,  are 
preparing  to  leave  for  the  mines.  A  large  company  will  start 
from  here,  in  which  will  be  one  of  the  active  members  of  my 
church,  two  Sabbath  school  teachers,  the  leader  of  the  choir, 
and  others  whom  we  shall  miss.  They  go,  expecting  to  return 
in  the  fall.  It  will  do  much  to  unsettle  the  work  of  the  church 
this  season. 

Within  two  years  after  Mr.  Gaylord's  advent  on  Nebraska 
soil  an  institution  of  learning  had  been  established  by  the 
Congregationalists  at  Fontanelle,  which  was  to  develop  into 
a  college  as  soon  as  the  wants  of  the  country  should 
require.  The  school  was  opened  December,  1857.  A  com- 
plete history  of  this  undertaking  is  given  in  the  closing 
chapter  of  this  book. 

In  May,  1859,  he  went  east  to  solicit  funds  for  this 
college  enterprise.  He  also  wished  to  convey  informa- 
tion of  the  comparatively  new  home  missionary  field  of 
Nebraska,  as  well  as  to  awaken  an  interest  in  the  institution 
among  eastern  friends.  The  trustees  had  assumed  responsi- 
bilities in  erecting  a  building  which,  in  consequence  of  the 
commercial  reverses,  proved  embarrassing.  It  was  to  meet 
this  pressure  that  Mr.  Gaylord,  at  their  request,  undertook 
this  work.  He  was  most  kindly  received,  and  met  every- 
where with  a  generous  sympathy  and  entire  approval  of  the 
object  of  his  mission.  But  the  response  in  material  aid 
was  small.  Enough,  however,  was  given  to  enable  them  to 
hold  the  ground  and  save  the  building.  It  must  be 
remembered  that  thirty  years  ago  large  sums  were  seldom 
donated  to  benevolent  enterprises.  It  is  the  easy  and  rapid 
accumulation  of  wealth  in   later  years  that  has  enabled 


216  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

generous  men  and  women  of  the  last  two  decades  to  give 
munificent  sums  to  educational  institutions,  and  to  insure 
success  in  utilizing  some  of  the  wonderful  discoveries  and 
inventions  of  the  present  day.  And  what  cause  for  rejoic- 
ing, that  money  is  given  more  and  more  freely  for  the 
establishment  of  Christ's  kingdom  among  all  the  nations  of 
the  earth !  When  the  time  comes,  as  it  will,  that  the  gifts 
keep  step  with  the  need,  we  shall  then  know  that  the 
redemption  of  the  world  is  at  hand. 

At  the  time  this  mission  to  the  east  was  undertaken,  the 
Baptist  brethren  of  Omaha  had  no  house  of  worship. 
Before  Mr.  Gaylord  left,  he  requested  the  trustees  of  the 
Congregational  church  to  invite  Rev.  Mr.  Barnes,  the  Bap- 
tist clergyman,  to  unite  the  two  congregations  and  occupy 
his  pulpit  during  his  absence.  Mr.  Barnes  did  this  very 
acceptably,  it  is  believed,  to  both  churches. 

Mr.  Gaylord's  letters,  written  while  absent  on  this  trip, 
make  an  instructive  passage  in  this  history. 

May  17. — Steamer  St.  Mary. — 7  p.  m. — I  found  it  harder 
to  part  with  my  dear  famil}7  than  I  had  anticipated,  and  could 
scarcely  regain  entire  composure  before  reaching  the  boat.  We 
were  off  in  less  than  half  an  hour  after  going  on  board.  The 
sail  down  the  river  was  delightful.  We  tarried  a  few  moments 
at  Council  Bluffs  Landing,  and  then  passed  on  to  Plattsmouth. 
Here  were  a  large  number  of  teams  waiting  to  cross  the  river. 
The  view  up  the  Weeping  Water  valley  from  this  point  is  very 
fine.  Mr.  Hoadley  and  I  have  taken  a  room  together.  Gov. 
Black  is  on  board,  and  I  have  found  him  a  very  agreeable  trav- 
eling companion.  He  has  given  me  an  excellent  letter  of  intro- 
duction of  a  general  character.  Mr.  Bichards,  of  Omaha,  is 
also  on  board ,  bound  for  St .  Joseph .  I  am  passing  the  time 
pleasantly,  and  already  begin  to  feel  rested — I  thought  this  my 
first  duty.  Have  paid  my  fare — $42.50 — first-class  ticket  to 
New  York. 

I  suppose  ere  this ,  you  have  looked  inside  the  box  and  given 
thanks  for  its  safe  arrival.     Mr.  Horbach  told  me  it  had  come. 


DONATION   OF    LAND.  217 

and  that  he  would  send  it  up  to  the  house  this  afternoon.  I  am 
glad  you  have  this  to  help  divert  your  mind  from  the  pain  of 
separation.  Please  give  me  a  particular  account  of  its  contents. 
What  does  the  only  son  say  to  the  grey  suit  ?  How  good  our 
Heavenly  Father  is!  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul!  How  my 
heart  goes  out  to  the  dear  ones  from  whom  I  am  being  borne 
further  and  further  away!  Now  you  must  all  get  well,  and  be 
as  happy  as  you  can.     Love  to  Sarah,  Ralph  and  little  Georgia. 

Wednesday,  11  a.  m. — Near  Kansas  Line. — Our  boat 
stopped  at  Nebraska  City.  We  left  there  at  9  p.  m.;  ran  a 
while,  and  tied  up  till  morning;  passed  Brownville  about  half- past 
eight  this  morning  and  left  Brother  Hoadley.  Mr.  Gulick  was 
on  board  and  stopped  at  Brownville  to  look.  He  is  an  in- 
teresting man — a  lawyer  from  Michigan — but  he  thinks  the  pro- 
fession is  full  in  Omaha.  We  are  having  a  pleasant  sail,  and 
will  be  in  St.  Joseph  this  evening.  The  river  is  very  high, 
which  gives  us  a  fine  view  of  the  country  and  bluffs,  which  are 
indeed  lovely. 

Now  I  must  tell  you  what  Mr.  Hoadley  has  done.  Last 
evening  he  was  speaking  of  his  affairs,  and  remarked  that  some 
time  since,  he  had  written  a  letter  to  send  me,  saying  he  would 
donate  the  half  of  a  twenty-six  acre  lot  he  owns  in  Fontanelle, 
to  the  college.  He  did  not  send  it,  as  he  expected  to  see  me  soon. 
I  replied,  that  if  he  felt  inclined  to  do  that,  I  should  be  much 
pleased  to  have  him  head  the  subscription  list  with  donating 
that  property,  and  I  would  use  it  as  a  stimulus  with  holders  of 
Fontanelle  property  residing  in  Quincy.  He  said  he  would  do 
this,  then  make  the  deed  to  the  trustees  of  the  college  and  send 
it  to  you.  This  gives  us  thirteen  acres  near  the  college  grounds, 
from  one  of  the  choicest  of  the  twenty-six  acre  lots,  and  Mr.  H. 
thinks  it  will  be  equal  to  a  subscription  of  $1,000  five  years 
hence.  4  o'clock. — We  are  now  within  one  hour's  run  of  St. 
Joseph .  The  river  scenery  is  not  as  interesting  below  the  Kansas 
line  as  above  it.  *  *  * 

We  reached  St.  Joseph  at  5  o'clock  on  Wednesday  afternoon, 
and  took  lodgings  at  Allen's  Hotel,  where  we  had  good  accommo- 
dations.    There  is  a  vast  amount  of  building  there,  and  every 


218  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

thing  is  active.  But  the  streets — how  narrow!  Only  from  forty 
to  sixty  feet  wide.  I  walked  up  onto  the  bluffs  where  I  could 
overlook  the  city  and  the  surrounding  country.  The  view  is 
extensive  and  fine,  but  not  equal  to  that  from  Capitol  Hill, 
Omaha.  I  passed  the  Catholic  Seminary,  which  is  pleasantly 
located.  They  are  building  an  immense  hotel  called  the  "Rail 
Road  House,"  which  is  not  yet  finished.  St.  Joseph  promises 
to  become  a  place  of  great  importance,  but  evidently  it  was  not 
laid  out  with  this  expectation. 

I  called  on  Mr.  Woolworth,  and  was  received  in  the  kind- 
est manner.  After  salutations  were  over,  almost  the  first  thing 
he  said  was,  that  he  wished  to  continue  his  subscription  for  my 
support.  He  then  gave  me  an  order  on  A.  S.  Barnes  &  Co.,  in 
New  York  for  $25.  After  bestowing  other  favors,  he  inquired 
if  I  had  a  subscription  book  for  the  college.  I  replied  that  I 
had,  but  had  only  one  name  in  it  as  yet,  and  asked  him  if  he 
would  like  to  give.  He  replied  that  he  would,  but  thought  the 
amount  would  be  too  small  to  put  his  name  in  the  book.  I 
said  to  him,  "Please  say  what  you  will  give,  for  my  encourage- 
ment." His  answer  was,  "I  will  give  $100 — one  half  in  cash 
and  one  half  in  books  and  stationery,  which  may  be  as  good  as 
cash."  At  my  request  he  put  his  name  down  for  that  amount, 
then  gave  me  letters  to  A.  S.  Barnes  and  Ivison  &  Phinney, 
publishers,  in  New  York,  commending  the  object  in  the  highest 
degree — and  also  a  letter  to  his  father,  who  is  president  of  the 
New  York  State  Library  at  Albany.  Thus  the  Lord  helps  me 
on. 

Quincy,  Illinois,  Thursday,  6  a.  m. — It  was  as  lovely  a 
morning  as  ever  dawned  when  I  took  my  seat  in  the  cars,  and 
started  off  toward  the  rising  sun.  There  had  been  heav}^  rains, 
and  the  dust  was  all  laid.  Nature  had  on  her  loveliest  robes, 
and  most  charming  was  the  ride  across  the  state  of  Missouri. 
Just  before  sunset  we  entered  Hannibal.  The  Mississippi  is  so 
very  high  that  we  ran  down  to  the  boat  with  water  on  each 
side  of  the  track.  Hannibal  is  a  fine  city,  well  situated 
and  must  become  a  place  of  much  importance.  We  reached 
this    place   between    10  and    11    p.    m. — two    days    and    nine 


VISITS   AT   QUINCY.  219 

hours  from  Omaha  to  Quincy,  and  lay  still  about  twent}1-  hours 
of  this  time.  In  the  morning  I  called  on  Mr.  Foote,  and  told 
him  my  wishes.  He  entered  heartily  into  my  plans,  and 
arranged  to  have  a  joint  meeting  of  the  two  Congregational 
churches  at  2  o'clock  to-morrow  afternoon,  when  I  am  to 
present  my  object  and  take  a  collection.  I  am  entertained  at 
Deacon  Keyes',  a  charming  spot.  Oh,  how  I  wish  you  were 
here ! 

Have  had  a  delightful  ride  about  the  city  with  Rev.  Mr. 
Emery  and  Dr.  McClure,  an  invalid  clergyman.  It  will  be 
twenty-four  3-ears  next  September  since  I  first  visited  Quincy. 
There  was  then  a  log  tavern  on  the  square,  kept  by  Rufus 
Brown,  now  of  Fontanelle.  A  log  house  was  used  for  a  land 
office,  and  there  were  a  few  other  buildings  of  a  similar  char- 
acter. Mr.  Asa  Turner's  house  was  an  unpainted,  frame 
building,  and  the  Congregational  meeting  house  a  frame  with 
no  steeple,  the  bell  being  hung  on  the  outside.  The  bluff  from 
the  river  was  precipitous,  and  all  the  buildings  were  above  it. 
Now ,  a  large  part  of  the  bluff  is  graded  down ,  and  covered  with 
business  houses  and  dwellings.  The  principal  street  is  built 
compactly  two  miles  out  from  the  river,  while  several  others 
extend  nearly  as  far.  The  city  extends  up  and  down  the  river 
three  or  four  miles.  I  noticed  many  costly  and  beautiful  dwell- 
ings, ornamented  with  trees,  shrubbery  and  gardens.  An  air 
of  neatness  and  taste  pervades  the  residence  portion  of  the  city, 
which  reminds  me  forcibly  of  Hartford,  Connecticut.  We  rode 
out  three  miles  to  the  residence  of  Mr.  Blatchford,  a  son  of  Dr. 
Blatchford,  whom  I  knew  in  Jacksonville  in  1836.  Here  I  met 
a  Mrs.  Green,  the  wife  of  a  Baptist  clergyman  in  Chicago.  She 
is  a  fine  lady,  expressed  a  deep  interest  in  you  and  gathered 
some  roses  and  other  flowers  for  you,  but  as  I  could  not  send 
them,  asked  me  to  send  her  love  and  tell  you  of  her  kind  wishes. 
The  grounds  of  Mr.  Blatchford  contain  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  under  the  highest  state  of  cultivation,  with  every  variety 
of  trees,  fruit,  forest  and  ornamental — a  splendid  garden  and 
all  that  can  please  the  eye  or  gratify  the  taste. 

Returning,  we  came  by  the  residence  of  John  Wood,  who, 


220  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLOED. 

when  I  first  visited  Quiacy,  lived  in  a  log  house  quite  out  of 
town.  We  went  to  the  observatory  of  a  fine  house  he  is 
building,  which  is  of  hewn  stone,  and  commands  a  view  of 
nearly  the  whole  city.  The  streets  are  set  with  rows  of  trees 
on  each  side;  the  walks  are  paved,  and  several  of  the  streets 
macadamized.  There  are  twenty  churches,  two  of  them  Con- 
gregational. I  have  given  you  a  glimpse  of  Quincy  as  ten 
years  old  (1835),  and  as  it  is  now  (1859).  You  can  look  into 
the  future  and  see  what  Omaha  must  become  in  a  much  shorter 
period . 

Reports  from  Europe  are  very  war-like,  and  there  is  little 
doubt  but  that  blood  will  flow.  But  the  Lord  reigns,  and  will  do 
all  His  pleasure.  Pray  for  me.  That  the  Good  Shepherd  may 
keep  you  and  all  the  flock  is  my  constant  prayer. 

Qtjixcy,  Illinois,  May  23. — I  shall  leave  here  on  Tuesday 
morning,  and  think  I  will  stop  in  Kewanee  to  see  Mr.  Little's 
people,  and  perhaps  awaken  some  interest  in  our  enterprise. 
Yesterday  I  presented  a  history  of  our  work  in  Nebraska  to  an 
apparently  interested  audience.  It  was  not  judged  best  by  Mr. 
Foote,  Mr.  Emery  and  Deacon  Keyes  to  call  for  a  public  collec- 
tion this  time,  lest  they  would  not  do  justice  to  themselves  and 
the  object,  on  account  of  the  severity  of  the  times.  Deacon 
Keyes  has  given  me  a  subscription  of  $100. 

I  called  to-day  on  a  Mr.  Rose,  who  used  to  live  about  fifteen 
miles  from  Burlington.  He  has  been  sick  a  }rear,  and  is  near 
the  grave.  I  had  a  most  delightful  Christian  interview  and 
season  of  prayer  with  them.  Mrs.  Rose  is  a  sister  of  Mr. 
Brown,  of  Fontanelle.  They  have  property,  and  will  donate 
some  to  the  institution.  I  called  on  three  other  Fontanelle 
stockholders,  who  live  out  of  town,  but  secured  no  positive 
pledges,  as  some  of  them  had  already  given.  But  I  think  I 
shall  get  property  in  Fontanelle  worth  from  $150  to  $300. 
Believe  I  have  sowed  some  seed  which  will  bring  good  fruit  in 
the  future,  and  feel  sure  I  have  made  a  good  impression.  Took 
tea  at  Rev.  Mr.  Emery's.  Dr.  McClure,  who  is  stopping  there, 
is  greatly  afflicted  with  asthma.  He  is  a  most  excellent  man. 
After  tea  we  had  prayers ,  and  I  led .     Then  he  took  me  by  the 


KEWANEE    AND    BLOOMINGTON.  221 

hand  and  with  tears  said,  "I  thank  you  for  that  prayer." 
While  engaged  in  this  work  I  wish  to  do  some  good  in  other 
directions.  *  *  *  *  Christian  ministerial  intercourse — 
how  sweet,  how  refreshing! 

And  now  good  night  to  you,  and  good  night  to  Sarah, 
Ralph  and  Georgia. 

Kewanee,  Illinois,  May  25. — I  found  Mr.  Little's  place 
without  any  trouble.  They  are  living  in  a  fine  house,  one- 
fourth  of  a  mile  from  the  depot,  and  about  the  same  distance 
from  Wethersfield.  Kewanee  is  a  thriving  town  of  nearly  two 
thousand  people,  surrounded  by  a  beautiful  and  fertile  section 
of  country.  This  region  is  transformed  since  we  were  here 
with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Deming  eight  years  ago.  Mr.  Little  says  : 
"  I  am  glad  to  see  you."  He  enters  with  the  deepest  interest 
into  all  my  plans. 

They  have  just  settled  a  minister  here,  a  Mr.  Salter,  son  of 
Mr.  Salter  of  Waverly.  His  sister  was  the  wife  of  Charles 
Welles,  nry  classmate  and  y our  cousin.  I  think  I  shall  awaken 
an  interest  among  our  friends  that  will  result  in  something  sub- 
stantial for  the  cause  in  the  future.  At  present  men  of  means 
in  this  region  are  straitened ,  but  there  are  some  noble  souls  who 
feel  that  they  and  theirs  belong  to  God.  I  am  glad  I  stopped 
here,  for  my  visit  has  been  most  refreshing.  Am  sorry  you 
could  not  be  with  me;  3'ou  would  enjoy  it  so  much. 

Chicago  ,  May  3 1 . — Am  not  making  very  rapid  progress 
towards  the  east,  but  feel  that  I  am  accomplishing  one  object  of 
my  tour,  for  I  am  gaining  important  information  in  relation  to 
the  great  field  of  Christian  effort  in  the  northwest.  Am  also 
making  acquaintances  and  renewing  old  ones  that  may  be  of 
important  service  to  our  enterprise  in  the  future.  At  present  it 
is  impossible  to  raise  money  in  the  west.  Those  who  have  the 
most  property  are  under  the  necessity  of  borrowing  money  to 
pay  their  taxes.  All  e3*es  are  turned  to  the  coming  crop.  This 
shows  that  farmers  are  the  bone  and  sinew  of  the  land.  I  came 
into  Chicago  last  night,  and  was  most  agreeably  surprised  to 
find  a  letter  from  you  at  the  Herald  office         *       *       * 

1    found  at  Kewanee   that  a  special  car  was  attached  to  a 


222  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

freight  train,  to  accommodate  those  who  were  going  to  the 
General  Association  at  Bloomington,  and  thought  best  to  take 
this,  as  I  could  have  the  opportunity  to  see  many  of  the  brethren 
on  their  way,  and  thus  accomplish  much  for  my  object.  I 
reached  Bloomington  on  Thursday  afternoon,  and  on  going  to 
the  Association  found  so  many  subjects  of  importance  and  general 
interest  before  that  body ,  that  I  decided  to  stay  over  the  Sabbath, 
and  am  glad  I  did.  It  was  a  great  and  good  meeting,  and  find- 
ing so  many  old  friends  was  indeed  most  refreshing.  Mr. 
Bascom  preached  a  good  opening  sermon,  holding  up  Paul  as  a 
model  minister.  Friday  morning  at  the  8  o'clock  pra}rer  meeting 
there  were  nearly  two  hundred  in  attendance  from  abroad,  among 
them  President  Sturtevant,  Dr.  Barker,  Dr.  Blan chard,  Mr. 
Kilbourn,  Joel  Grant,  Mr.  Merritt,  wife  and  sister,  the  latter 
daughters  of  Mr.  Earlie,  of  Perry.  I  send  to-chvy,  to  Sarah,  a 
sermon  preached  at  the  funeral  of  Brother  Kilbourn 's  daughter, 
by  Mr.  Grant.  These  brethren  are  both  from  Litchfield  county, 
and  I  knew  them  well  in  college.  My  home  was  with  Mr. 
Taylor,  Congregational  minister  of  Bloomington.  His  wife  is 
from  New  Ipswich,  X.  II.,  and  an  intimate  friend  of  Miss  Wilson. 

"We  had  an  able  report  on  Knox  College,  from  Rev.  Mr. 
Patton,  chairman  of  a  committee  on  investigation  appointed 
last  year.  The  home  missionary  relations  with  Presbyterians 
came  up  and  Rev.  Mr.  Jenny ,  the  agent,  made  a  statement  which 
I  was  glad  to  hear.  AVe  are  approaching  an  entire  separation  of 
the  two  denominations  in  that  societjr.  It  ma}r  not  come  this 
year,  but  it  will  come.  I  know  not  how  it  will  affect  us,  but 
can  leave  that  with  God.  I  occupied  about  fifteen  minutes  in  a 
report  from  Nebraska.  The  whole  time  was  taken  up  with 
important  business,  and  I  listened  to  all  with  deep  interest.  On 
the  Sabbath  I  assisted  in  the  communion  service,  and  afterwards 
made  an  address  of  about  twenty  minutes.  Spoke  to  the  Sabbath 
school  at  noon.  In  the  afternoon  there  was  a  gathering  of 
children  and  teachers,  numbering  about  one  thousand. 

Yesterday,  I  came  to  this  city,  stopped  at  the  Briggs  House 
and  called  on  Mr.  Goodman.  He  insisted  on  my  staying  with 
him  and  I  shall  do  so.      Sarah  Porter  is  here  attending  school; 


INTERVIEW   WITH    PROF.    MORGAN.  223 

she  is  getting  to  be  a  large  girl.  I  shall  stay  over  to-day  to  see 
some  of  the  friends,  and  prepare  the  way  to  accomplish  some- 
thing when  I  return. 

At  Bloomington  I  saw  Rev.  Joseph  Emerson,  nephew  of  the 
Professor,  and  cousin  of  the  Ralph  Emerson  that  we  saw  at 
Andover.  He  is  an  able  and  interesting  man.  He  wishes  me 
to  come  to  Rockford  on  my  return,  and  gives  encouragement 
of  help.  Ralph  is  there  in  business,  and  says,  if  it  had  not  been 
for  the  hard  times  he  would  now  be  worth  a  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  I  also  saw  a  daughter  of  Prof.  Emerson,  who  is  the 
wife  of  Prof.  Haven  of  Chicago  Theological  Seminary.  I  shall 
go  to  Oberlin  to-morrow. 

Oberlin,  Ohio,  June  2. — I  arrived  here  last  evening,  and 
was  most  heartily  welcomed  by  Mr.  Miner  and  family.  Irenaeus 
and  wife  left  the  day  before  I  came,  for  a  mission  among  the 
Ojibways  on  Lake  Superior  in  Wisconsin.  I  have  visited  sev- 
eral of  the  professors,  and  gained  much  knowledge  in  regard  to 
the  workings  of  the  institution,  and  shall  remain  over  the  Sab- 
bath, if  Prof.  Morgan,  who  has  charge  of  the  church,  is  willing 
I  should  present  my  cause  and  take  a  collection.  Otherwise,  I 
must  go  forward  to  New  York  *  *  *  Have  had  a  very 
pleasant  interview  with  Prof.  Morgan.  He  tells  me  that  large 
demands  are  being  made  upon  them  for  their  brethren  in  prison, 
(under  the  fugitive  slave  law) ,  and  it  did  not  seem  advisable  to 
call  for  a  contribution  now ,  but  said  that  when  I  should  return 
the  way  might  be  open.  So  I  shall  leave  to-morrow  and  reach 
New  York  on  Saturday.  Have  some  fears  that  I  shall  not  find 
as  much  encouragement  east  as  I  anticipated. 

New  York,  June  6. — I  went  to  a  hotel  on  arriving  here 
and  then  to  the  Home  Missionary  rooms  to  see  if  there  were 
letters.  I  was  most  cordially  received  by  the  Secretaries,  and 
Dr.  Badger  brought  me  your  welcome  letter,  also  one  from  Bro. 
Hurlburt.  I  sit  at  the  table  by  the  side  of  Bro.  Morris  of  "West 
Hartford,  who  is  here  for  surgical  treatment. 

Sabbath  morning  Bro.  Morris  and  I  went  over  to  Brooklyn 
to  hear  Henry  Ward  Beecher.  The  house  was  packed  to  the 
very  doors,  but  we  succeeded   in   getting  in  and  a  gentleman 


224  LIFE   OF    REUBEN    GAYLOKD. 

gave  us  seats.  Every  corner  was  filled.  After  the  voluntary 
he  implored  the  Divine  blessing,  then  read  a  portion  of  Scripture 
and  gave  out  the  hymn,  "How  blest  the  sacred  tie  that  binds," 
in  the  Plymouth  Collection.  The  whole  congregation  joined  in 
the  song.  But  such  a  prayer  as  followed!  He  led  us  right  into 
the  Divine  Presence,  and  seemed  to  pour  out  the  fullness  of  the 
wants  of  all  classes  into  the  ear  of  Jehovah.  Then  another 
hymn,  the  397th: 

O,  Lord  !  how  happy  should  we  be 
If  we  could  cast  our  care  on  Thee — 

If  we  from  self  could  rest ; 
And  feel  at  heart,  that  One  above, 
In  perfect  wisdom,  perfect  love, 

Is  working  for  the  best. 

He  gave  out  several  notices,  among  them  two  strawberry 
festivals  with  music,  and  remarked,  if  men  could  not  be  benev- 
olent, when  paid  for  it  in  strawberries  and  music,  they  must  be 
given  up  as  hopeless.  Text,  Hebrews  13:5.  Subject,  Christian 
Contentment.  Does  contentment  mean  that  we  are  to  like 
every  thing,  because  it  happens  ?  No  such  thing.  It  is  the 
opposite  of  a  complaining  disposition — a  disposition  to  see  some 
good  in  every  thing  and  seize  upon  that  good.  The  bee  can 
find  hone}*  in  ever}*  flower,  but  i"  can't.  That's  the  difference 
between  him  and  me. 

Some  are  not  contented  because  others  are  better  off  than 
they.  He  illustrated  this  by  a  beggar:  I  give  him  in  his  rags  a 
whole  suit,  but  coarse  and  plain.  He  looks  around  and  sees 
another  with  a  little  better  suit,  and  saj-s  it  is  not  much  of  a 
gift  after  all.  Then  I  give  him  a  suit  of  broadcloth,  but  he 
sees  one  with  a  finer  suit,  and  is  ungrateful  still.  Place  him 
on  a  throne,  and  if  there  is  one  a  little  higher,  he  is  fretful  and 
unhappy.  Christian  contentment  looks  on  the  bright  side — sees 
God  ordering  and  dispensing  everything  in  love.  Contentment 
is  not  inconsistent  with  aspiration.  Christian  character  grows. 
Contentment  is  not  inconsistent  with  a  thirst  for  knowledge,  or 
a  spirit  of  enterprise.  Original  endowments  are  often  subjects 
for  complaining.  One  frets  because  he  was  not  born  a  genius 
— an   orator — a  philosopher — a  musician.     Pie  said  the  world 


A    SERMON    BY    ME.    BEECHER.  225 

had  produced  but  about  two  first-class  men  in  a  thousand  years. 
We  should  say,  "Since  it  did  not  please  God  to  make  me  any- 
thing but  me,  I'll  take  me."  We  should  try  to  be  faithful  in 
our  sphere,  and  this  is  the  way  to  rise  when  God  opens  the 
Providential  door. 

Applied  to  sickness — He  says  to  one,  "You  love  me,  don't 
you?  "  "Yes."  "Then  lie  upon  this  bed  of  pain,  and  suffer 
twenty  years,  and  show  how  My  grace  can  sustain  you."  But 
you  can  get  no  impression  of  the  sermon  from  these  brief 
extracts.  It  reminded  me  of  a  fountain  fully  pressed,  over- 
flowing at  every  opening.  And  it  was  so  rich  I  have  been 
feasting  upon  it  ever  since.     The  closing  hymn  was: 

Be  still  my  heart!    These  anxious  cares 
To  thee  are  burdens,  thorns  and  snares  ; 
They  cast  dishonor  on  thy  Lord, 
And  contradict  His  gracious  word. 

Brought  safely  by  His  hand  thus  far, 
Why  wilt  thou  now  give  place  to  fear? 
How  can'st  thou  want  if  He  provide, 
Or  lose  thy  way  with  such  a  guide  ? 

In  the  afternoon  I  went  to  hear  Dr.  Asa  D.  Smith,  whose 
Sabbath  school  pays  the  salary  of  Rev.  Mr.  Goos  in  Nebraska, 
and  in  the  evening  I  heard  Dr.  Cheever. 

O,  that  precious  letter!  How  I  thank  you  for  it.  It 
seemed  so  long  not  to  hear  from  the  dear  ones,  where  my  heart 
centers.  Received  the  draft  all  safe.  How  generous ,  how  good 
the  Lord  is!  "Cast  all  your  cares  on  Him  who  careth  for  you." 
I  want  to  commit  all  my  work  into  His  hands  and  leave  the 
result  with  Him.  We  know  not  what  is  in  the  future,  but  let 
us  follow  where  our  Great  Master  leads,  and  soon  we  may  hear 
his  voice  saying,  "Come  up  higher." 

The  days  are  cool  and  pleasant.  The  scenery  on  the  Hudson 
was  enchanting — delightful!  Two  weeks  from  to-morrow  the 
General  Association  of  Connecticut  meets  at  Norwich. 

New  York,  June  8. — Many  thanks  to  you  and  Sarah  for 
those  kind  letters.  Was  glad  to  look  upon  the  face  of  the  dear 
boy,  and  think  the  picture  in  the  case  an  excellent  one. 

16 


226  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

I  spent  Monda}^  forenoon  in  the  Home  Missionary  rooms, 
and  had  a  most  interesting  time  with  Dr.  Badger  and  the  other 
secretaries.  They  are  ready  to  do  what  they  can  for  our  Ter- 
ritory, but  have  a  great  deal  of  feeling  upon  this  question  of 
the  relations  of  Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists  in  the 
society.  They  think  the  separation  inevitable,  though  when  it 
will  take  place  they  cannot  tell. 

In  the  afternoon  I  called  on  Mr.  Baldwin,  who  was  very 
glad  to  see  me,  but  was  preparing  to  leave  for  a  two  or  three 
weeks'  absence.  We  talked  till  the  time  of  his  leaving.  The 
regulations  of  the  College  Society  do  not  contemplate  helping 
till  the  college  department  is  inaugurated.  He  manifested 
great  interest  in  our  work.  If  the  division  takes  place  in  the 
Home  Missionary  Society,  it  will  in  the  College  Society  also. 
Went  to  the  Independent  office  and  had  a  chat  with  Dr.  Leavitt, 
the  editor.  In  the  afternoon  went  over  to  Brooklyn  and  saw 
my  classmate,  Budington.  Have  been  presenting  my  letters  of 
introduction  and  making  acquaintances.  It  takes  time  to  begin, 
and  it  costs  much  time  to  find  those  I  wish  to  see.  I  called  on 
my  classmate,  Prof.  Thompson,  but  did  not  find  him  in.  I 
then  went  in  search  of  Dr.  B.  Found  him  in  his  drug  store, 
and  was  received  with  open  arms  and  heart. 

New  York  is  indeed  a  great  and  busy  city.  I  attended  a 
meeting  of  the  Historical  Society  last  evening  and  heard  a  very 
excellent  lecture  from  Bancroft,  the  historian,  on  the  life  and 
character  of  Jonathan  Edwards.  I  hope  to  get  access  to  con- 
gregations on  the  Sabbath,  and  think  I  shall  have  some  measure 
of  success,  but  there  are  a  great  many  objects  pressing,  especially 
just  now.  I  have  a  very  pleasant  boarding  place,  and  a  quiet 
room  where  I  can  write  undisturbed,  and  where  I  can  commend 
my  loved  ones  to  our  Father's  care  and  myself  to  His  guidance. 
I  hope  you  will  enjoy  yourselves  as  well  as  you  can.  I  believe 
it  is  right  to  be  happ}^. 

Brooklyn,  June  13. — Called  on  Miss  West,  and  had  a  most 
delightful  interview.  She  seems  like  a  whole-souled  Christian. 
Saw  Dr.  Adams  a  moment,   and  found  I    knew  his  father  in 


SERVICES    IN    NEW    YORK.  227 

Jacksonville.  Am  unable  to  get  an  opportunity  to  present  our 
field  publicly  at  present,  except  in  Dr.  Budington's  church  yes- 
terday afternoon.  Have  had  five  hundred  circulars  printed, 
setting  forth  in  brief  my  object  and  wishes.  Have  visited  my 
classmates,  Spencer,  Benedict  and  Thompson,  and  had  most 
interesting  interviews.  Mr.  Thompson  insisted  on  my  stopping 
with  him,  so  I  moved  there  Saturday  evening.  Sabbath  morn- 
ing heard  Dr.  Adams  preach  from  the  text,  "But  he  was  a 
leper."  Interesting  discourse,  splendid  church,  large  and 
wealthy  congregation .  In  the  afternoon  presented  Nebraska  in 
Dr.  Budington's  church.  He  introduced  me  as  an  old  class- 
mate, twenty  years  a  home  missionary.  At  the  close  he  spoke 
a  few  minutes  in  a  way  to  greatly  strengthen  my  hands,  and 
help  me  to  make  a  beginning.  I  think  impressions  were  made 
which  will  not  be  effaced.  A.  S.  Barnes,  the  publisher,  is  one 
of  Dr.  Budington's  leading  members. 

Your  cousin,  S.  Camp,  wished  me  to  go  home  with  him; 
Dr.  B.  also  invited  me,  but  I  thought  it  might  help  my  cause 
to  go  with  Mr.  Barnes.  I  make  everything  subservient  to  that, 
for  I  believe  it  is  the  Lord's  cause.  Expect  to  occupy  some 
time  in  Dr.  Cheever's  prayer  meeting  this  week.  Ivison  & 
Phinney,  to  whom  I  had  letters  of  introduction  from  Mr.  Wool- 
worth,  said,  without  solicitation,  that  I  might  put  them  down 
for  fifty  dollars  in  books,  and  they  would  do  more  from  time  to 
time.  They  belong  to  the  Old  School  Presbj-terian  church.  I 
spent  the  night  with  my  classmate  Benedict.  They  have  nine 
children.  Mrs.  B.  gave  me  a  fine  likeness  of  Beecher  in  a  gilt 
frame.  I  have  so  many  mercies  that  my  heart  overflows  with 
gratitude.  Oh,  if  j^ou  could  only  be  here  to  enjoy  with  me! 
But  I  forget;  happiness  is  to  be  found  only  in  the  way  of  duty. 
My  daily  prayer  is  that  the  Divine  Redeemer  will  keep  and  bless 
you,  and  fill  j'our  heart  with  joy  and  peace. 

Newixgtox  , Connecticut  ,  June  2 1 . — I  left  NewYork  Saturday 
morning.  Stopped  in  New  Haven  a  few  hours;  saw  John  Mills, 
and  came  to  Newington  at  5:30  p.  m.  Found  the  friends  here 
all  well.  *  *  *  I  am  received  every  where  with  the 
warmest  interest,  and  am  forming  many  new  acquaintances  of 


228  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

value.  Find  my  work  rather  an  up-hill  business,  but  have  the 
satisfaction  of  knowing  that  it  is  approved.  In  New  York  the 
churches  had  been  pressed  with  numerous  urgent  applications, 
and  this,  taken  with  the  fact  that  many  have  left  and  others  are 
preparing  to  leave  for  the  summer,  led  me  to  feel  that,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  advice  of  friends,  it  was  better  to  defer  the 
work  of  collections  until  September.  You  will  see  Dr.  Buding- 
ton's  commendation  in  the  Independent  of  June  16.  The  great- 
ness and  importance  of  the  work  undertaken  impresses  me  more 
and  more,  daity,  and  I  feel  that  I  am  where  the  Lord  will  have 
me  to  be  at  present.  If  I  have  to  stay  longer  than  till  the  first 
of  September  can  you  say,  'k  Yes  "?  I  knoic  3'ou  will  if  it  seems 
to  be  duty. 

Deacon  Seymour  has  been  very  ill,  but  has  so  far  recovered 
that  he  was  at  church  in  the  afternoon.  I  forgot  to  say  I  spent 
a  very  pleasant  evening  in  New  York  with  Mrs.  Lyons  and 
family.  At  New  Haven  I  called  on  Mr.  R.,  and,  although  I 
had  not  seen  him  for  many  years,  he  knew  me  at  once,  and 
entered  with  lively  interest  into  my  mission.  How  man}^  as- 
sociations of  college  life  were  stirred  in  my  mind  by  a  walk  up 
Chapel  street!  Prof.  Olmstead  is  gone.  His  work  is  done. 
Blessed  man!     He  was  faithful.       *       *       * 

And  here  I  am,  where  you  were  born  and  where  I  first 
formed  3-our  acquaintance.  How  it  brought  up  the  past,  as  I 
entered  the  room  where  long  ago  we  knelt  together  to  supplicate 
God's  blessing  upon  us  and  upon  our  work. 

Norfolk,  Connecticut,  June  25. — The  meeting  of  the  Asso- 
ciation at  Norwich  was  crowded  with  business,  and  the  celebration 
intensely  interesting.  I  had  a  delightful  place  to  stay  and  met 
many  old  friends.  Norwich  is  a  lovely  city.  I  left  there  yes- 
terday morning,  stayed  over  night  atWinsted,  and  called  on  the 
Cones  and  other  friends.  Reached  here  at  10  o'clock  this 
morning,  and  found  dear  mother  well  and  very  glad  to  see  me. 
She  was  knitting  as  usual,  and  has  several  pairs  of  stockings 
already  finished  for  the  boy  and  his  father.       *       *       * 

A  few  words  about  my  work.  Business  is  beginning  to 
recover,  but  numbers  are  still  more  or   less  embarrassed,  and 


AT   HIS   OLD   HOME.  229 

very  many  objects  of  benevolence  that  have  fallen  behind,  during 
the  hard  times,  are  now  pressing  for  relief.  Mr.  Sturtevant 
told  me  he  would  rather  try  to  raise  money  in  Illinois,  than  in 
the  east.  I  meet  with  sympath}^  and  approbation,  but  whether 
I  shall  obtain  the  needful ,  is  a  problem  yet  to  be  solved .  But  I 
believe  our  work  is  of  God,  and  my  trust  is  in  Him.  If  He  gives 
a  trial  of  our  faith,  or  even  permits  us  to  almost  fail,  we  must 
not  murmur. 

Canaan,  Connecticut,  June  28. — I  am  here  waiting  to  take 
the  cars  to  Pittsfield,  and  improve  the  time  to  write,  for  the 
purpose  of  enclosing  a  couple  of  drafts,  as  the  first  tangible 
evidence  of  the  fruit  of  my  mission.  They  will  need  this,  and, 
I  fear,  several  hundred  dollars  more  to  meet  contracts,  before  I 
can  get  it  to  send  them.  I  preached  Sunday  in  Norfolk  all  day. 
In  the  afternoon  my  text  was  Nebraska  and  the  "West.  I  pre- 
sented m}r  cause,  and  at  the  close  Mr.  Eldridge  made  some  very 
appropriate  remarks,  commending  the  object,  and  saying  I 
would  call  upon  individuals  next  day.  The  result  is  before  you. 
More  will  be  given  by  those  I  could  not  call  upon.  Is  not  this 
an  endorsement  of  your  humble  servant,  from  his  home,  that  is 
cheering? 

Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  June  30. — In  the  morning 
prayer-meeting  of  the  Association,  I  rose  to  say  a  few  words ,  and 
Mr.  Langworthy,  who  was  leading,  introduced  me  as  from 
Nebraska,  and  I  asked  a  place  in  their  sympathy  and  prayers 
for  the  brethren  in  our  Territory.  It  produced  an  impression 
and  fervent  prayers  were  offered  for  us  in  our  isolation.  I  took 
my  seat  as  delegate,  and  when  my  turn  came  to  make  my  report 
I  spoke  almost  twenty  minutes.  Opened  my  large  map  of  our 
country,  and  showed  from  it  the  position  and  importance  of  our 
region.  Many  who  were  strangers  came  and  gathered  around 
me,  and  seemed  to  appreciate  in  some  measure  the  responsibility 
of  my  position .  There  were  delegates  from  all  the  New  England 
states,  and  from  New  York,  Ohio,  Illinois,  Oregon,  California, 
and  the  New  School  General  Assembly.  The  delegate  from 
New  York  is  Dr.  Budington;  he  introduced  me  to  Dr.  Todd, 
Dr.  Blagden  of  Boston,  and  Dr.  Sweetzer  of  Worcester,  in  a 


230  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

way  to  inspire  confidence  in  me  and  my  work .  The  co-operation 
of  Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists  in  the  Home  Missionary 
Society  was  a  topic  of  deep  interest,  and  elicited  full  discussion. 
The  Congregationalists  of  New  England  will  stand  by  the 
Society ,  and  the  resolutions  saying  this  were  passed  unanimously. 
One  thing  is  certain,  separation  is  inevitable,  and  if  it  comes  it 
will  not  be  an  unmixed  evil .  The  Boston  Tract  Society  has  the 
sympathy  of  almost  the  entire  Congregational  family.  I  do 
feel  that  this  has  been  a  good  meeting  for  me.  God  is  with  me 
all  the  time,  and  I  am  happy.  It  is  my  earnest  desire  to  lay 
myself  on  His  altar  for  Nebraska  with  new  consecration.  Dr. 
Todd  has  invited  me  to  stay  at  his  house  while  here.  Father 
Brace  is  there,  smart,  active  and  cheerful.  Pittsfield  is  a 
pleasant  place.  I  expect  to  speak  to  a  large  congregation  on 
the  Sabbath.  *  *  *  The  Association  passed  a  resolution 
approving  of  our  action  as  timely  and  wise;  commending  the 
object  to  the  aid  of  the  churches  and  to  the  friends  of  Christian 
education.  It  is  no  small  gratification  to  me,  that  not  one  to 
whom  I  have  laid  open  the  object  has  spoken  a  word  of  disap- 
probation. I  have  been  invited  to  address  the  young  ladies  in 
the  Female  Seminary  here. 

Newbukyport,  Massachusetts,  July  11. — I  had  no  concep- 
tion of  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  raising  money  at  the  present 
time.  The  giving  ones  have  been  called  upon  so  often  that 
their  power  to  give  is  nearly  exhausted.  The  President  of  the 
Pacific  University  of  Oregon  is  here,  and  has  pretty  much  pre- 
occupied the  ground  in  this  region.  President  Chapin,  of 
Beloit  spent  three  or  four  weeks  in  Boston  for  that  college ,  with 
the  aid  of  the  college  society;  and  the  American  Board  is  in 
debt  seventy  thousand  dollars.  So  I  was  constrained  to  feel 
that  it  would  be  unwise  to  exhaust  time  and  strength  on  so 
unpromising  a  field.  Hence,  I  came  to  Andover,  and  here  the 
ministers  thought  it  would  not  do  to  have  a  collection  taken. 
But  I  sowed  good  seed  by  preaching  in  two  large  congregations. 
One  old  gentleman  was  so  interested  that  he  gave  me  twenty 
dollars  on  the  spot.  On  the  way  to  Boston  I  met  Mr.  Hoadley 
on  the  cars  going  to  Amherst.     He  wished  me  to  stop  and  attend 


GIFTS   OF   BOOKS.  231 

a  ministers '  meeting  to  be  held  in  Springfield ,  and  I  did  so .  Spent 
a  night  at  Belchertown,  and  rode  over  to  Enfield  to  call  on  Rev. 
Mr.  McEwen,  the  good  friend  who  sent  ns  that  draft  for  fifty 
dollars.  After  addressing  the  Andover  students  on  Friday 
evening  several  of  them  told  me  I  had  interested  them  more  than 
any  missionary  from  the  foreign  or  home  field,  of  which  several 
had  addressed  them  at  different  periods.  I  called  on  Prof. 
Stowe,  who  said  he  would  give  me  something  this  3rear,  but  he 
thought  more  next. 

You  may  tell  Mr.  Gilbert  I  have  seen  both  his  brothers,  and 
they  are  well. 

I  shall  get  some  help  here  in  Newburyport,  for  Prof.  Emer- 
son will  interest  himself  in  the  object.  I  am  having  a  most 
delightful  visit — they  were  so  glad  to  see  me.  Prof.  Haven, 
their  son-in-law,  arrived  Saturday  from  Chicago.  I  am  doing 
what  I  can,  but  fear  we  shall  fail  to  realize  what  we  need  to 
pay  for  our  building.  I  feel  that  I  am  doing  a  most  important 
work  in  awakening  the  churches  to  our  new  region,  and  I  am 
gaining  strength  for  the  great  responsibilities  of  life.  You  will 
be  glad  to  hear  that  I  have  a  cheerful  and  growing  trust  in 
God.  I  returned  to  Boston  Thursday,  and  spent  Friday  night 
at  Deacon  Mclntyre's.  It  was  the  evening  of  their  prayer- 
meeting,  and  there  were  about  one  hundred  present.  Mr.  Mc- 
Intyre  wished  me  to  speak,  and  after  being  introduced,  I  gave 
them  a  history  of  missionary  work  in  Nebraska.  I  think  they 
will  apply  the  contributions  of  their  Sabbath  school  for  books 
to  send  out  to  me  to  aid  our  schools.  *  *  Deacon  and  Mrs. 
Mclntyre  and  other  friends  presented  me  with  several  very  nice 
and  acceptable  books,  some  of  them  especially  for  you. 

Mr.  Gaylord  speaks  further  of  gifts  of  books  and  papers 
from  these  and  other  friends,  as  follows : 

At  Boston  I  obtained,  through  Mr.  Mclntyre,  a  donation  of 
sixty  copies  of  the  Well  Spring  and  ten  dollars  worth  of  books 
for  the  Sunday  school.  Mrs.  Mclntyre  has  given  me  the 
"Suffering  Savior"  for  you.  I  have  also  received  gifts  of 
books  from  Mr.  Emerson,  Rev.  Mr.  Taylor,  Mr.  Harding,  and 
several  from  the  Congregational  Board  of  Publication.     I  had 


232  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORI). 

a  pleasant  visit  with  Bro.  Burnham,  and  attended  a  meeting  of 
their  local  Association .  He  gave  me  ' '  Higher  Life  ' '  for  you , 
and  his  boy  Charles  a  book  for  Balph.  In  the  bundle  with 
these  you  will  find  one  for  Sarah,  and  a  picture  book  for 
Georgia  from  papa.  I  have  purchased  Olshausen's  Commentary, 
and  hope  to  get  other  books  for  my  library,  in  Hartford  and 
Tsew  York. 

AVorcester,  Massachusetts,  July  19. — I  came  to  this  place 
on  Saturday  evening,  and  am  stopping  with  Rev.  Mr.  Richard- 
son, who  was  mjr  classmate  in  the  Seminary  one  year.  There 
are  two  Sabbath  schools  connected  with  his  church.  Once  a 
month  they  bring  them  together  and  have  addresses.  This  was 
done  yesterday,  and  I  was  invited  to  speak  to  them.  There  was 
a  very  large  attendance.  In  the  evening  I  presented  my  cause, 
but  the  response  in  material  aid  was  small.  The  people  have 
been  called  upon  so  much  that  ministers  are  afraid  to  have  a 
new  object  presented.  Another  thing,  the  sympathy  of  this 
portion  of  New  England  has  been  exhausted  upon  Kansas. 

I  conferred  with  some  members  of  the  Senior  class  in 
Andover  in  regard  to  going  west.  One  gives  some  encourage- 
ment, but  is  not  certain.  He  is  just  the  right  sort  of  a  man. 
And  I  tried  to  influence  another  to  take  hold  of  the  work  of 
instruction  in  our  institution;  he  is  well  qualified  for  such 
work,  and  looks  favorably  upon  the  matter.  I  do  want  to 
secure  enough,  if  possible,  to  relieve  ourselves  from  debt. 
Then  we  must  go  along  as  we  can,  till  we  have  better  times  in 
the  west  and  more  ability  to  help  ourselves.  I  have  taken 
hold  of  this  work,  not  for  the  present  merely,  but  with  views 
embracing  a  large  scope  of  country,  expecting  when  I  leave  the 
world,  others  will  enter  in  and  enjoy  the  fruits  of  my  labors. 
I  do  not  feel  like  spending  a  dollar  to  gratify  myself  in  any 
way. 

*  The  follies  and  vanities  of  life  seem  very 

trifling  to  me,  and  the  solid,  substantial  joys  of  domestic  peace 
and  love  more  and  more  valuable.  We  must  not  expect  to  find 
a  Paradise  below,  but  be  content  to  take  the  world  as  we  find  it, 
and  do  what  we  can  to  make  it  better.     Here  our  responsibility 


MEETING    OLD    FRIENDS.  233 

ceases.  Our  God  will  take  care  that  His  counsel  shall  stand  and 
He  will  do  all  His  pleasure.  Oh,  if  we  could  only  look  into 
the  inner  life  of  some  of  the  rich,  and  see  all  their  heart  bur- 
dens, we  would  not  desire  to  change  places  with  them!  Two  of 
the  wealthiest  men  in  this  region  have  committed  suicide  within 
four  days,  one  of  them  this  very  morning.  Am  glad  to  hear 
that  cousin  Joseph  Camp  is  visiting  you,  for  it  will  help  to 
relieve  your  loneliness. 

Newington,  Connecticut,  July  26. — Once  more  in  this  re- 
tired spot,  this  upper  room,  I  seat  myself  to  converse  with  you. 
Saturday  morning  I  went  to  Springfield  ;  walked  to  West 
Springfield  and  back  ;  then  to  Chicopee  and  called  on  Bro. 
Cones,  the  minister;  then  over  to  Chicopee  street,  where  Rev. 
E.  B.  Clark  is  settled.  He  was  two  years  after  me  in  college. 
I  preached  for  him  Sabbath  morning,  and  a  contribution  was 
taken  up  amounting  to  $34.50.  It  was  arranged  that  there 
should  be  a  joint  meeting  of  the  three  churches  in  the  afternoon 
to  hear  my  story.  One  man  in  Bro.  Cones'  congregation  pro- 
posed to  dispense  with  the  Sabbath  school  that  day,  so  that  he 
and  others  could  go  over  and  take  their  families.  This  was 
readily  acceded  to,  and  we  had  a  very  interesting  congregation. 
In  the  evening  we  had  a  united  meeting  of  the  churches  in 
Springfield,  and  there  were  four  ministers  in  the  pulpit  with 
me.  The  venerable  Dr.  Osgood  was  one  of  the  number.  When 
I  was  through  speaking  Mr.  Drummond,  one  of  the  pastors  in 
Springfield,  made  a  few  remarks,  and  a  collection  was  taken  up 
amounting  to  $54 .  After  meeting  was  dismissed  a  friend  came 
up  the  aisle  and  took  me  by  the  hand.  He  was  one  of  my  old 
pupils  in  Jacksonville,  a  native  of  Manchester,  and  now  a 
settled  pastor  at  Agawam.  Hearing  that  I  was  to  be  there  he 
had  come  over  to  see  me.  He  went  with  me  to  Dr.  Bucking- 
ham's, and  we  talked  over  the  memories  of  twenty-three  and 
twenty-four  years  ago  till  ten  o'clock.  Dr.  Buckingham  is  a 
son-in-law  of  Dr.  Taylor.  He  gave  me  a  copy  of  the  Doctor's 
"  Practical  Sermons,"  also  a  line  to  the  publishers  of  Webster's 
Unabriged  Dictionary,  which  secures   for  me  a  copy  of  that 


234  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

valuable  work  as  a  gift  from  them.  It  is  the  new  edition  of 
this  year. 

I  left  for  Hartford  at  10:30  Monday.  Met  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Alfred  He  bard  on  the  train.  Found  two  letters  in  the  post- 
office  at  Hartford,  one  from  the  dear  son,  and  one  from  yourself, 
forwarded  from  Boston .  I  want  to  thank  you  a  thousand  times 
for  the  long,  precious  letter.  At  one  o'clock  came  out  to  New- 
ington.  Stopped  at  Mrs.  Hepsie  Stoddard's  a  little  while  and 
called  at  Deacon  Seymour's.  Toward  night  the  Deacon  brought 
me  down  here  to  Mr.  Deming's.  This  afternoon  Mr.  Deming 
and  I  have  been  into  Hartford.  I  obtained  a  draft  for  184, 
made  payable  to  the  order  of  S.  S.  G.,  of  Fontanelle,  which  I 
send  you  for  him.  Saw  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willard  a  few  moments, 
then  attended  a  funeral  at  the  Pearl  Street  Church. 

Last  Thursday,  Mr.  Bunce,  a  merchant,  came  out  to  New- 
ington  for  a  ride.  There  were  with  him  a  young  man  and  two 
young  ladies.  They  came  out  over  the  mountain,  and  as  they 
were  descending  the  hill,  near  where  Deacon  Wells  now  lives, 
the  horse  ran,  and  Mr.  Bunce  was  thrown  out,  and  so  badly 
hurt  as  to  render  him  insensible.  He  was  taken  into  Deacon 
Wells'  house,  where  he  lay  unconscious  till  Sunday  night  at  one 
o'clock,  when  his  spirit  went  home.  He  was  fifty-three  years 
of  age,  and  an  active  member  of  the  Pearl  Street  Church.  He 
leaves  a  wife  and  nine  children  to  mourn  his  sudden  death. 
The  church  was  filled  with  citizens,  and  the  services  were  deeply 
impressive . 

You  must  have  had  a  pleasant  visit  with  Cousin  Joseph ,  and 
you  must  be  having  all  the  warm  weather,  for  we  have  very 
little  here.  It  is  called  a  cold  summer.  Soon  I  shall  be  where 
the  refreshing  sea-breezes  lifted  you  up  from  weakness,  so  that 
you  could  go  forth  again  to  your  work . 

Lyme,  Connecticut,  July  30,  1859. — In  this  letter  I  will 
give  you  some  account  of  our  class  meeting  and  of  commence- 
ment. I  came  to  New  Haven  Wednesday,  and  on  my  way  up 
from  the  depot  was  happy  to  receive  a  letter  from  home.  I 
went  up  to  John  Mills'  room  and  read  it,  then  went  in  to  the 
meeting  of  the  alumni.      Gov.   Chase,  of  Ohio,  was  present, 


COLLEGE    CLASS    MEETING.  235 

and  made  some  remarks.  Senator  Trumbull,  of  Illinois,  was 
also  called  on  for  a  speech . 

At  night  was  our  class  meeting.  We  met  at  eight  o'clock, 
at  the  house  of  Mr.  Atwater,  one  of  our  number,  who  had  pro- 
vided for  vis  a  bountiful  entertainment.  He  has  lost  three  of 
his  ten  children,  the  eldest  son  at  sea.  After  familiar  conversa- 
tion for  more  than  an  hour,  the  folding  doors  were  thrown 
open,  and  we  sat  down  to  a  rich  repast.  After  this  letters  were 
read  from  absent  members,  and  statements  made  concerning  the 
others.  We  thus  learned  something  in  regard  to  all.  Eighteen 
were  present,  and  each  of  us  related  at  some  length  our  personal 
history.  One  who  was  a  wild,  skeptical  3routh  in  college,  but 
now  pastor  of  a  Congregational  church  in  New  York,  told  us 
of  the  change  in  his  feelings  and  course  of  life.  It  was  a  meet- 
ing long  to  be  remembered .  The  deep  interest  and  s}rmpathy 
of  the  members  in  and  for  each  other  was  most  gratifying.  It 
was  nearly  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  before  we  finished  our 
narratives.  I  then  proposed  that  we  should  unite  in  singing  a 
hymn  and  have  prayer  before  we  separated .  There  was  a  subdued 
feeling  at  the  thought  of  parting,  and  as  we  joined  in  singing, 
"Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds,"  and  united  in  prayer,  all  felt  it 
to  be  a  fitting  conclusion  of  a  most  precious  meeting.  Of  the 
eighteen  present,  ten  are  clergymen,  one  has  been  Governor  of 
Connecticut,  three  are  lawyers,  two  are  teachers,  one  an  author 
and  one  a  plrysician.  Of  the  sixty-five,  twelve  only  have  died. 
We  find  on  review  that  the  class  as  a  whole  has  made  active  and 
useful  men,  beyond  what  is  common.  We  have  furnished 
three  members  of  congress,  two  judges,  one  governor,  twenty- 
two  preachers  of  the  gospel  and  several  useful  business  men. 
We  voted  to  have  another  meeting  in  five  years  from  this  time. 
How  impressively  are  we  admonished  of  the  swift  flight  of 
time!  Twenty-five  years  have  passed  since  I  stood  at  the  point 
of  departure  from  the  place  where,  for  four  years,  I  had  been 
undergoing  the  delightful  discipline  of  study,  and  yet  how 
short!     It  seems  almost  like  a  dream. 

Thursday  was  commencement  and  I  met  many  old  acquaint- 
ances.    In  the  morning  I  heard   the   graduating   class   speak. 


236  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

Will  send  you  the  order  of  exercises  with  my  notes.  We  took 
dinner  as  usual  in  Alumni  Hall,  and  toward  evening  I  came 
home  with  Bro.  Brainard  to  spend  the  Sabbath,  where  I  am 
enjoying  the  luxury  of  a  little  rest,  which  I  very  much  needed. 
Shall  present  my  cause  on  Sabbath  morning,  and  instead  of 
taking  up  a  collection,  think  I  will  spend  a  day  or  two  in  calling 
upon  the  people. 

A  college  class  is  one  of  the  best  and  truest  examples 
of  a  "United  Brotherhood"  that  is  ever  found  in  a  Christian 
or  civilized  land.  The  members  come  together  more  often 
than  otherwise  as  entire  strangers  from  distant  places.  They 
gather  from  city  and  country — some  from  abodes  of  luxury, 
others  from  plainer  homes,  where  there  is  only  the  means 
of  a  comfortable  subsistence,  seasoned  however  with  the 
wealth  of  love  and  refinement.  Some  come  from  the  dwell- 
ings of  poverty,  urged  on  by  an  ambition  which  cannot  be 
put  to  sleep,  and  a  hunger  for  knowledge  that  makes  the 
youth  almost  willing  to  go  hungry  for  food  and  with  poor 
clothing,  if  this  is  the  price  that  must  be  paid  for  going  to 
college.  But  the  day  arrives  when  they  are  gathered  under 
their  first  class  name  of  Freshman.  They  carry  similar 
books,  pursue  like  studies,  and  the  same  lessons  are  appor- 
tioned to  each.  They  meet  every  day  in  the  same  class 
room,  where  mind  acts  on  mind,  and  a  little  of  each  one's 
individuality  is  imparted  to  the  others.  While  this  is 
taking  place,  some  tendrils  of  esteem  and  good  will  are 
thrown  out  from  each  to  his  companions,  which  cling  to 
them  with  a  tenacity  that  is  seldom  weakened  by  the  lapse 
of  years. 

Mr.  Gaylord  was  one  of  those  students  who  ever  felt  a 
deep  and  sympathetic  interest  in  the  members  of  his  class — 
deeper,  possibly,  because  when  the  life  work  began  he  was 
in  a  measure  isolated  from  them.  Only  one — Mr.  William 
H.  Starr  of  Burlington,  Iowa — was  within  easy  visiting  dist- 
ance; and  whenever  he  could  attend  one  of  the  class  meetings, 
held  every  five  years,  it  was  a  source  of  heartfelt  enjoyment. 


PLEASANT    DAYS   AT    LYME.  237 

The  description  given  above  shows  a  little  of  the  pleasure 
experienced  by  him  in  such  gatherings.  One  more  of  these 
meetings,  and  only  one,  was  he  ever  permitted  to  attend. 
In  the  summer  of  1864  he  was  again  in  New  Haven — took 
his  place  and  exchanged  greetings  with  those  of  the  class 
who  were  present.  Afterwards,  when  the  invitation  came> 
want  of  means  for  the  journey,  or  work  he  could  not  well 
leave,  or  both,  detained  him  at  home.  In  1879,  the  last 
summer  of  his  life,  this  invitation  was  received  from  Mr. 
Henry  C.  Kingsley,  for  many  years  the  honored  treasurer  of 
Yale  College:  "  The  Yale  Class  of  1834  at  their  meeting  in 
1874  voted  to  meet  again  this  year.  All  the  surviving 
members  of  the  class  are  invited  to  take  tea  at  my  house 
on  Wednesday,  June  25,  at  six  p.  m."  This  was  the  forty- 
fifth  anniversary.  Had  Mr.  Gaylord  known  it  would  be 
his  last  opportunity  he  could  scarcely  have  had  a  greater 
longing  to  be  present.  But  circumstances  seemed  to  render 
it  so  difficult  that  with  much  reluctance,  and  a  feeling  of 
sadness,  he  relinquished  the  idea. 

Newington,  Connecticut,  August  5. — I  came  here  from 
Lyme,  coming  up  to  Middletown  by  boat.  There  I  took  the 
cai-s,  and  walked  the  last  part  of  the  way.  I  found  a  letter 
from  my  dear  wife  and  daughter,  one  from  Mr.  Kellom,  and 
one  from  Bro.  Leonard.  Those  days  at  Lyme  were  very 
pleasant.  After  the  Sabbath  I  went  over  the  parish,  calling  on 
such  as  Mr.  Brainard  thought  best.  I  collected  for  the  college 
eighty-four  dollars.  Business  is  much  depressed  in  Lyme  at 
present.  A  kind  lady,  Mrs.  Mather,  gave  me  a  five  dollar  gold 
piece  for  you,  and  her  little  grand-daughter  a  gold  dollar  for 
my  little  bo}'.  The  people  feel  a  deep  interest  in  us.  Mrs. 
Chadwick  gave  me  a  very  interesting  book  for  you.  I  expect 
to  leave  Isewington  this  afternoon.  They  had  a  serious  occur- 
rence at  Mrs.  Cornelia  Wells'  this  week.  Their  little  boy,  eight 
years  old,  fell  into  the  well.  Another  boy,  who  was  with  him, 
made  such  an  outcry  that  some  men  who  were  working  near  ran 
and   rescued  him.     Had  there  not  been  help  at  hand  he  must 


238  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

have  perished.  Rev.  Mr.  Aiken,  the  pastor  here,  has  much 
trouble  with  his  throat,  and  fears  he  will  have  to  give  up 
preaching. 

Bristol,  Connecticut,  August  11. — As  I  carried  my  letter 
to  the  office  in  N.  I  found  two  more  from  you.  One  of  them 
came  in  seven  days.  I  was  so  glad  to  get  them,  and  read  them 
over  and  over  again.  Came  down  to  New  Britain,  and  from 
there  to  this  place,  where  I  spent  the  night  with  my  old  friend 
and  tutor,  Rev.  Mr.  Griggs.  He  was  exceedingly  glad  to  see 
me,  and  I  could  not  get  away  until  afternoon.  Then  he  carried 
me  over  to  Terry ville.  I  made  my  way  to  Plymouth  Hollow, 
and  stopped  by  invitation  with  my  classmate,  Bradstreet.  Made 
arrangements  to  address  the  congregations  on  the  hill  and  in 
Terry  ville.  Spoke  in  the  latter  place  in  the  morning,  and  in 
the  Hollow  at  1:30.  Attended  monthly  concert  at  five,  and 
preached  on  the  hill  in  the  evening.  This  made  a  laborious 
day,  and  I  found  it  necessary  to  stop  and  rest.  I  had  a  most 
quiet  home  with  nvy  classmate,  B.,  and  was  made  very  welcome. 
Dr.  Hawes'  son  is  the  minister  on  the  hill,  and  he  was  very 
glad  to  have  me  speak  to  his  people.  I  made  my  collections, 
amounting  to  $125.75,  and  came  back  here.  Found  my  mind 
soactive  last  night  that  sleep  fled  in  a  measure,  and  I  feel  the 
effects  of  it  this  morning. 

In  regard  to  Mr.  Hascall  and  other  matters  trying  to  the 
spirit,  our  course  is  plain.  Seek  Divine  guidance — try  to  do 
present  duty,  and  cast  our  burdens  upon  the  One  who  is  ready 
to  bear  them  for  us.  And  while  He  shows  us  our  duty,  let  us 
be  cheerful  and  happy  in  performing  it. 

Newing  ton,  August  12. — I  came  from  Bristol  to  New  Britain, 
and  Rev.  Mr.  Rockwell  brought  me  here.  Went  into  Hartford 
and  procured  a  draft  of  $200,  which  I  send  you  for  our  treasurer. 
Did  not  find  Dr.  Hawes  at  home.  Collected  $40  in  B.  and  F., 
and  went  to  New  Haven  on  Tuesda}^,  but  those  I  wished  to  see 
were  out  of  the  city.  1  called  on  Mrs.  Lamed,  and  had  a  de- 
lightful visit.  From  there  I  came  to  Meriden,  and  spent  the 
night  with  a  classmate  ;  then  to  Hartford,  but  did  not  try  to 
collect  anything  in  either  place .     You  can  have  no  idea  how  the 


LEARNING   USEFUL   LESSONS.  239 

ground  is  run  over  with  applications  for  help.  But  I  am  not 
sorry  I  came  and  have  spent  the  summer  as  I  have.  I  am  surely 
learning  some  excellent  lessons  in  the  school  in  which  I  am  be- 
ing trained. 

Many  of  us  remember,  possibly  too  well,  that  the  finan- 
cial reverses  of  1857,  which  brought  such  disaster  to  our 
land,  ran  on,  with  but  little  relief,  through  '58  into  '59,  and 
it  was  not  till  1860  that  extensive  and  permanent  help  came 
to  our  suffering  countr}r.  The  shipping  interest,  which  had 
been  a  source  of  large  income  to  many  eastern  states,  had 
of  late  brought  debts  to  be  paid  instead  of  profit  to  the 
owners.  But  in  this  summer  of  1859  New  England  was  be- 
ginning to  feel  some  pulsations  of  returning  financial  health, 
and  her  generous  hand  was  ready  to  go  down  as  deep  as  it 
could  into  purses,  which  were  still  far  from  being  full. 
Knowing  this,  those  benevolent  enterprises,  which  had  been 
compelled  to  wait,  rushed  in,  crowding  one  upon  the  other, 
each  holding  out  its  hand  anxious  to  get  as  large  a  share  as 
possible,  for  there  was  real  need  and  the  objects  were  alto- 
gether praiseworthy  and  good.  Some  of  the  lessons  which 
Mr.  Gaylord  speaks  of  learning  at  this  time  were  these: 
Patient  waiting  on  God  for  success ;  patience  with  some  who 
had  the  means  to  give,  but  did  not  see  it  to  be  their  duty  ; 
sympathy  for  those  who  would  give  liberally,  but  could  not, 
and  submission  in  the  face  of  grievous  disappointments. 
But  his  letters  will  continue  to  speak  for  him. 

I  shall  spend  the  Sabbath  at  West  Hartford,  by  special  re- 
guest  of  Bro.  Morris — present  my  cause  and  ask  for  a  collection, 
but  he  does  not  encourage  me  to  expect  much. 

Did  you  see  the  aurora  last  Sunday  night  and  last  night? 
Splendid!     Wonderful!     How  glorious  are  the  works  of  God! 

Norfolk,  August  18. — I  wrote  you  from  Newington  one 
week  ago,  and  on  mailing  the  letter  found  your  precious  epistle, 
also  one  from  Sarah  which  I  read  with  pleasure,  and  one  from 


240  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

Ealph.     I  think  R.  has  improved  very  much  in  writing  and  in 
composition. 

Friday  evening  I  went  to  Waterbury.  Was  in  the  prayer 
meeting,  and  met  Mr.  Buslmell,  pastor  of  the  First  Church,  a 
brother  of  Dr.  Buslmell,  of  Hartford.  He  was  one  of  my  pupils 
at  New  Preston.  After  consultation  with  him  and  with  Mr. 
Magill  of  the  Second  Church,  I  decided  to  spend  the  Sabbath  in 
Waterbury,  where  I  received  $54.  They  have  lost  heavily  by 
the  reverses,  and  the  Second  Church  is  $20,000  in  debt.  The 
First  Church  is  very  kindly  helping  them  pay  the  debt  by  rais- 
ing $4,000  towards  it.  Deacon  Carter,  who  gave  $5,000  to 
Iowa  College  has  been  removed  by  death.  I  must  relate  an 
incident  which  was  interesting  to  me  and  I  know  will  be  to  you . 
Saturday  morning  a  young  lady  called  at  Rev.  Mr.  Buslmell 's 
to  see  me — and  who  do  you  think  she  was?  She  was  the  same 
lady  who  wrote  me  that  letter  from  New  York  last  year,  Miss 
Georgiana  Miller.  She  was  delighted  to  see  me,  and  I  had  a 
precious  interview,  which  did  my  soul  good.  Tuesday  noon  I 
went  to  Litchfield  where  a  meeting  of  the  South  Litchfield 
County  Association  was  being  held,  and  Wednesday  morning 
walked  five  miles  to  Wolcottville — called  on  the  minister  and 
visited  the  grave  of  one  who  was  a  student  in  my  school  in  New 
Preston.  At  one  i>.  m.  took  the  cars  for  Winsted,  and  rode  up 
from  the  depot  with  Deacon  Grant  to  his  house.  After  tea 
walked  to  Capt.  Hiram  Gay  lord's — spent  the  night,  and  in  the 
morning  came  here  for  a  final  visit  to  my  dear  mother.  I  feel 
sad  at  the  thought,  but  was  glad  to  find  her  well.  Mrs.  Hedge, 
a  sister  of  Dr.  Eldridge,  is  visiting  in  Norfolk,  and  I  shall  be 
glad  to  meet  her.  I  feel  quite  wearied  and  have  little  time  to 
rest. 

During  the  summer  many  of  Mr.  Gaylord's  letters  were 
written  at  Newington,  for  this  quiet  and  beautiful  village 
was  a  place  to  which  he  loved  often  to  resort.  Wherever  he 
was,  all  roads,  for  him,  led  to  this  pleasant  retreat.  Here, 
at  the  home  of  his  sister-in-law  and  her  husband,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Deming,  he  ever  received  a  most  cordial  welcome.  The 
loving  care  and  kind  attentions,  the  sympathy  and  helpful- 


GIFTS    FROM    FRIENDS.  241 

ness  which  always  met  him  here,  were  most  acceptable, 
especially  when  weary  or  discouraged  in  his  work.  And 
how  restful  were  those  rides  up  and  down  the  beautiful 
shaded  streets,  lined  on  either  side  by  such  grand  old  trees 
as  the  hard  maple  and  elm,  with  occasionally  a  stately  ever- 
green— each  of  these  too  aristocratic  to  find  congenial  homes 
in  Iowa  or  Nebraska.  We  believe  they  never  voluntarily 
strike  their  roots  into  the  soil  of  a  western  prairie.  His  next 
letter  is  dated  at  this  place. 

Newington,  August  24. — Here  I  am  agaiu  in  this  "upper 
room,"  where  I  have  indited  several  epistles  within  the  last  two 
months.  I  wrote  you  from  Norfolk,  after  collecting  enough  to 
make  $207  in  all.  Precious  were  the  hours  I  spent  there — 
mother  seemed  so  glad  to  see  me.  Then,  too,  I  had  a  most 
refreshing  visit  with  Mrs.  Hedge.  She  had  two  children  with 
her,  and  has  two  in  Heaven,  as  we  have.  Mother  loaded 
me  down  with  stockings  of  her  own  knitting — eight  pairs 
in  all.  Mary  and  Ellen  Gay  lord  gave  me  a  little  box  done  up 
nicely,  and  asked  me  to  take  it  to  you.  I  replied,  "  I  suppose 
there  is  nothing  in  it  ? ' '  They  said  I  might  look  and  see .  I  did , 
when  I  got  back  to  mother's,  and  found  two  pairs  of  nice  kid 
gloves,  and  some  other  choice  things  which  I  shall  have  the 
pleasure  of  bringing  to  you.  They  are  fine  girls.  I  left  Nor- 
folk on  Saturday  morning,  stopped  at  Plymouth,  and  went  over 
to  Watertown,  where  I  found  the  minister,  who  is  an  old 
acquaintance,  greatly  afflicted  with  asthma.  He  was  truly  glad 
to  see  me,  and  I  preached  for  him  all  day,  and  talked  to  the 
people  at  night.  They  were  greatly  interested  in  what  I  told 
them.  The  minister  thought  I  might  get  $50,  but  on  Monday 
I  collected  $175,  and  left  on  Tuesday  morning  thankful  for 
what  had  been  given  me. 

Mr.  Gaylord  subsequently  received  a  very  kind  letter 
from  a  lady  in  this  church  enclosing  another  small  donation. 
She  assured  him  of  the  deep  interest  awakened  among  their 
people  by  his  communications  on  that  Sabbath  evening — 

17 


242  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

not  only  in  the  college    enterprise,  but  in  the  whole   of 
Nebraska. 

I  look  at  all  efforts  in  connection  with  this  institution  not 
simply  in  the  light  of  the  present,  but  of  the  far  distant  future. 
My  first  and  great  object  now  is  to  secure  enough  to  fulfill 
obligations  which  must  be  met  this  season,  so  that  those  who 
have  helped  put  up  our  building  may  not  be  injured.  This  I 
hope  to  accomplish . 

Newington,  August  27. — There  is  not  much  prospect  of 
help  for  the  west  by  way  of  emigration .  There  seems  no  dis- 
position on  the  pai't  of  good  people  to  go — at  least  as  far  as 
Nebraska,  and  1  fear  we  shall  not  secure  any  ministers.  /  can- 
not work  miracles.  The  cause  is  God's  and  He  will  take  care 
of  it.  But  our  country!  The  Lord  reigns  —  blessed  be  His 
name!  Yesterday  we  had  a  pleasant  visit  from  Mr.  Atwood's 
and  Mr.  Gridley's  families,  and  Mr.  Deming's  children.  Am 
glad  to  know  that  the  titles  to  those  lots  are  secured,  but  the 
cost  is  so  much  greater  to  Mr.  H.  and  Mr.  S.  than  was  expected, 
and  Mr.  H.  is  in  Europe.  I  shall  be  pained  at  the  thought  of 
any  personal  wrong  to  him,  and  cannot  bear  that  any  injustice 
should  exert  its  influence  upon  the  future  prosperity  of  our  fair 
city. 

Newingtox,  September  3. — lam  here  once  more  writing 
and  getting  a  little  rest.  Mr.  Deming's  family  are  in  excellent 
health,  but  Mr.  William  Welles  is  quite  feeble.  I  shall  take 
the  train  for  New  York  on  Monday  morning,  and  see  what  I 
can  do  there.  Think  now  that  I  shall  be  at  home  by  the  1st  of 
October.  Pleasant  indeed  is  the  thought  of  turning  my  face 
toward  the  setting  sun.  How  sweet  the  rest  of  heaven  must  be 
after  all  the  storms  and  tossings  of  life! 

But  what  shall  I  say  of  the  weather?  Cold!  Cold!  Oh, 
how  cold!  We  have  had  but  two  hot  chays  this  summer.  It  is 
almost  too  bad  for  you  to  keep  all  the  hot  weather  in  Nebraska. 
Really,  I  cannot  account  for  the  great  and  long  continued  dif- 
ference between  here  and  there.  I  long  to  have  the  time  come 
when  I  can  sit  down  and  talk  with  you  of  all  the  way  in  which 


A    CHEERFUL    CHRISTIANITY.  243 

God  hath  led  us  and  cared  for  us,  unworthy  as  we  are.      Tell 
Sarah  I  could  not  get  time  to  write  to  her  this  week. 

New  York,  September  8. — In  accordance  with  your  sug- 
gestion, I  have  this  day  purchased  for  the  dear  son  a  present, 
which  I  hope  to  place  in  his  hands  b}T  and  by  as  a  birthda}'  gift. 
It  is  a  box  of  neat  drawing  instruments,  which  I  trust  will  please 
him  and  be  a  means  of  instruction,  and  with  some  money  from 
Ellen  Deming  I  have  bought  for  him  a  box  of  paints  and 
brushes.  I  collected  about  $60  in  my  visits  among  friends  in 
Newington . 

None  of  the  Congregational  ministers  are  at  home  except 
my  classmate  Budington.  This  will  delay  me  some  in  my  work, 
but  I  am  attending  to  other  matters  and  filling  up  my  time 
fully.  Had  a  pleasant  evening  at  the  social  gathering  in  Clin- 
ton Avenue  Church.  Dr.  Budington  will  refresh  the  minds 
of  his  people  with  the  matter  I  presented  before  them  in  June, 
next  Sabbath,  and  ask  them  to  bring  in  a  liberal  collection  on 
the  Sabbath  following.  Mr.  A.  S.  Barnes  has  kindly  presented 
me  with  a  copy  of  the  Plymouth  Collection  for  the  pulpit,  with 
a  full  index,  and  I  hope  to  purchase  a  few  more  books. 

The  right  kind  of  Christianity  is  that  which  so  per- 
meates the  whole  character  as  to  be  carried  into  every  day 
life,  and  which  is  seen  to  be  consistent  and  lovely  under  all 
circumstances.  We  think  Mr.  Gaylord's  was  of  this  kind. 
It  was  his  anchor,  keeping  him  steadfast  and  hopeful  amid 
all  the  trials  and  vicissitudes  which  met  him  in  his  work — 
a  beam  from  heaven  shedding  light  upon  the  hindrances 
and  perplexities  which  sometimes  rise  up  before  the 
Christian  minister  like  a  wall  of  rock,  showing  him  how 
to  surmount  this  wall,  or  to  find  a  way  through  it,  and 
then  go  on  his  way  rejoicing.  He  was  the  fortunate 
possessor  of  one  of  those  cheerful  and  chastened  natures 
which  are  quick  to  see  such  a  light  and  get  help  from  it. 
And  to  the  last  year  of  his  life  his  happy  spirit  often  found 
expression  in  that  joyous  laughter  which  those  around  him 
loved  so  well  to  hear.     His  motto  was,  "  Never  give  up," 


244  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

but  work  and  trust,  and  keep  on  working  and  trusting  to 
the  end. 

New  York,  September  12. — Although  the  sun  has  not  risen 
I  have  read  a  portion  of  God's  word,  and  sought  the  Divine 
blessing  upon  my  own  soul,  upon  the  labors  of  the  day, 
and  a  Father's  care  and  protection  for  loved  ones  yet  far 
distant.       *       *       * 

All  last  week  my  way  was  blocked  up  because  those  I  wished 
to  see  were  not  in  the  city.  Two  weeks  later  would  have  been 
better.  Saturday  morning  I  saw  Dr.  Storrs,  but  he  was  unable 
to  tell  me  whether  I  could  address  his  people  the  next  day,  or 
not  until  another  Sabbath.  I  arranged  to  go  over  in  the  morn- 
ing and  speak  if  the  way  was  open,  if  not,  I  would  hear  him. 
The  day  began  with  rain  and  I  felt  a  little  depressed,  but  was 
able  to  cast  all  upon  superior  wisdom.  It  rained  until  nine 
o'clock,  then  the  clouds  broke  away  and  the  sun  came  out.  I 
went  to  Dr.  Storrs'  at  ten,  and  he  opened  the  way  for  me  to 
address  his  people.  A  good  congregation  was  present.  He 
introduced  me  favorably  to  the  audience,  and  at  the  close  made 
some  excellent  remarks  commending  the  object — telling  his 
people  it  was  a  glorious  privilege  to  live  in  this  country,  and 
novo.  He  thought  it  better  to  call  on  individuals  than  take  a 
collection,  as  more  would  be  secured.  After  the  congregation 
was  dismissed,  he  introduced  me  to  several  of  his  leading  men 
who  expressed  themselves  gratified  with  the  opportunity  of 
hearing  me,  and  said  I  must  have  help.  One  of  the  deacons,  a 
lawyer,  was  to  leave  in  the  morning  and  might  not  see  me  again. 
He  gave  me  $25.  Dr.  Storrs  expressed  a  deep  interest,  and  gave 
me  a  list  of  persons  to  call  upon.  When  I  thanked  him  for 
being  permitted  to  address  his  people  he  said  he  wished  to  thank 
me  for  speaking  to  them.  He  is  a  fine  Christian  gentleman  and 
has,  I  am  told,  a  wealthy  congregation.  In  the  afternoon  I 
went  to  hear  Dr.  Tyng,  and  in  the  evening  to  the  Tabernacle, 
hoping  to  find  Thompson.  The  General  Association  meets  here 
next  week,  and  a  stranger  from  Maine  is  to  preach.  I  shall 
occupy  Thompson's  lecture  room  on  Friday  evening,  and  reach 
as  many  as  I  can.     Am  to  call  on  Dr.  Asa  D.  Smith  this  evening 


WEDDING    ANNIVERSARY.  245 

by  appointment.  The  weather  has  been  delightful  since  I  came 
to  the  city  and  business  is  very  active.  Spencer,  another  of 
my  classmates,  is  a  good  Christian  business  man.  Prof.  Thomp- 
son, Benedict,  Spencer,  how  much  I  have  enjoyed  seeing  them 
here,  and  how  ready  they  have  been  to  bestow  favors. 

New  York,  September  19. — Again  I  seize  a  moment  to  indite 
an  epistle,  probably  the  last  one,  for  my  time  is  fixed  to  start 
day  after  to-morrow.  Joyfully  shall  I  welcome  the  hour. 
Think  I  will  stop  one  night  in  Oberlin  at  Mr.  Miner's,  and  then 
push  on  to  Quincy.  Some  time  next  week  I  hope  to  see  your 
face  once  more.  I  saw  Mrs.  Van  Nostrand  on  Friday.  She 
told  me  there  was  a  great  deal  of  sickness  in  Omaha.  This  makes 
me  anxious,  but  He  who  has  mercifully  spared  us  so  far,  I  trust 
will  keep  us  to  the  end  of  this  separation .  On  Friday  afternoon 
it  began  to  rain,  a  regular  equinoctial,  and  became  a  furious 
storm,  doing  much  damage.  There  have  been  severe  frosts  in 
some  parts  of  the  state .  The  attendance  at  the  lecture  on  Friday 
evening  was  not  large,  owing  to  the  heavy  rain.  This  evening 
I  take  tea  with  Dr .  Adams  by  invitation . 

Home!  Home!  How  it  dwells  upon  my  thoughts  when  I 
ought  to  be  asleep.  What  sweetness  those  four  letters  express! 
How  pleasant  they  look,  and  what  associations  they  excite! 
A  pleasant  home  I  have — loving  hearts  to  wait  for  and  welcome 
my  return.  For  this  I  do  and  ivill  bless  God.  And  if  our 
earthly  home  has  such  attractions,  what  must  be  the  heavenly 
mansion  where,  life's  labors  over,  cares  all  removed,  we  shall 
rest  in  God,  in  Christ  and  in  each  other!  Love,  full,  constant, 
to  you,  to  Sarah,  to  Ralph  and  Georgia.  And  now  good-bye. 
The  Lord  bless  and  keep  you  all. 

Mr.  Gaylord  reached  home  early  in  October  and  found 
the  family  in  good  health,  but  the  horse,  a  valuable  animal, 
to  which  all  were  much  attached,  had  been  stolen  and  was 
never  recovered.  Being  at  home  on  the  8th  of  November, 
the  anniversary  of  his  marriage,  he  wrote  a  letter  and  handed 
to  his  wife,  from  which  we  make  some  extracts: 


246  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

My  Beloved  Wife  :  Eighteen  years  ago  this  day  we  en- 
tered into  the  most  sacred  and  endearing  of  all  earthly  relations . 
Hitherto  the  Great  Pilot  has  guided  our  frail  bark  safely  over 
the  storm}*-  ocean  of  life,  and  to-day  we  spread  our  sail  for  an- 
other voyage.  Whether  we  live  to  see  the  close  of  this  year  is 
known  only  to  Him  with  whom  is  all  knowledge.  My  earnest 
desire  for  our  future  is  that  it  may  be  marked  by  larger  meas- 
ures of  the  Divine  love,  and  that  in  "seeking  first  the  kingdom 
of  God"  we  may  find  the  fulfillment  of  the  Savior's  gracious 
promise.  If  we  seek  our  all  in  God,  and  rest  content  with  such 
things  as  His  love  bestows,  the  world  by  all  its  treachery  cannot 
rob  us  of  the  blessedness  He  will  constantly  impart.  Let  me 
crave  an  interest  in  your  prayers  that  God  will  teach  me  my 
whole  duty,  and  enable  me  faithfully  to  meet  the  responsibilities 
of  all  the  relations  which  I  sustain  in  life. 

We  fail  to  understand  the  true  character  of  a  friend, 
unless  that  character  is  delineated  in  all  the  varied  rela- 
tions which  make  up  the  sum  of  human  life.  The  subject 
of  this  memoir  possessed  strong  affections  which  were  con- 
stantly manifested  in  his  love  for  and  confidence  in  those 
around  him,  not  only  intimate  friends,  but  others  with 
whom  he  mingled  in  his  work  as  a  minister  or  in  business 
transactions.  And  although  these  were  sometimes  mis- 
placed, it  did  not  make  him  too  cold  or  too  cautious  toward 
others.  His  love  for  children  unfolded  and  expanded  so 
naturally  in  their  presence,  that  they  seemed  to  understand 
it,  and  loved  to  follow  and  flock  around  him.  Often  he 
had  only  to  reach  his  hands  toward  a  little  one  to  make  it 
leave  its  mother's  arms  and  spring  toward  him.  It  is 
plainly  seen  from  this  last  series  of  letters  that  this  affec- 
tionate nature  developed  and  shone  with  a  bright  and  clear 
luster  in  the  midst  of  the  home  circle,  and  in  all  the  do- 
mestic relations  of  life. 

On  his  return  from  the  east  he  wrote  to  the  Society : 
Through  the  great  mercy  of  my  Heavenly  Father ,  I  was  per- 
mitted after  so  long  an  absence,  to  meet  my  family  again  in 


STRANGE   PROPHECY.  247 

health.  I  found  it  pleasant  to  stand  before  my  people 
and  speak  to  them  of  the  things  pertaining  to  eternity.  My 
visit  at  the  east  was  refreshing,  for  while  I  was  laboring  earn- 
estly to  accomplish  the  great  object  which  called  me  there,  I 
enjoyed  many  opportunities  of  intercourse  with  my  brethren  in 
the  ministry,  both  in  public  meetings  and  private  interviews. 
Of  this  I  had  greatly  felt  the  need  during  the  years  in  which  I 
stood  almost  alone  on  this  frontier.  Very  highly,  also,  did  I 
prize  the  liberty  of  hearing  preaching,  a  favor  not  often  en- 
jojred  at  home. 

On  my  return  I  was  pained  to  learn  that  in  my  ab- 
sence death  had  entered  our  little  church.  It  was  the  first  case 
of  mortality  in  the  church  since  its  organization — now  three 
and  a  half  years.  The  person  who  had  died  was  a  young  man 
who  came  here  from  Massachusetts,  about  one  year  since.  He 
was  an  active  and  devoted  Christian,  was  always  found  at  the 
prayer  meeting  ready  to  take  part  in  its  exercises,  was  a 
teacher  in  our  Sabbath  school,  and  known  by  all  as  a  decided 
friend  of  the  Redeemer.  He  united  with  this  church  on  the 
last  Sabbath  before  I  left  for  the  east.  Sometime  in  the  sum- 
mer he  went  about  seventy  miles  farther  west,  to  take  charge 
of  a  ferry  on  the  Platte  River,  where  many  persons  crossed 
on  their  way  to  the  mines.  He  made  his  home  on  an  island  in 
the  river,  and  there  he  was  taken  sick  and  died  among  strangers. 

Only  twenty-eight  years  have  passed  since  the  date  of 
the  next  number  of  the  Home  Missionary  that  contains  any- 
thing that  bears  upon  this  history.  Prophecy  is  here 
attempted,  and  to-day  one  can  scarcely  restrain  his  impa- 
tience, much  less  amazement,  at  the  short-sightedness  of  the 
prophet,  who,  it  is  needless  to  say,  was  not  Mr.  Gaylord. 

All  the  Missouri  slope  of  Iowa,  where  we  passed,  and  I 
believe  it  is  generally  the  same,  is  very  destitute  of  timber.  It 
never  can  be  settled,  except  in  small  localities,  till  timber  is 
raised.  Nebraska  is  worse  yet.  Land,  in  a  large  portion  of 
Western  Iowa  and  Nebraska  is  worth  just  about  as  much,  for 
all  present  use,  as  it  is  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean.     It  is  good  for 


248  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

nothing;  and  will  be  good  for  nothing,  only  as  the  slow  growth 
of  timber  shall  give  it  value,  or  railroads  shall  bring  in  fencing 
and  building  materials.  This  is  the  only  possible  way  of  settling 
any  considerable  portion  of  this  section.  As  to  Nebraska,  the 
gold  mines,  hastening  up  a  railroad  to  bring  down  timber,  are 
its  only  hope.  According  to  these  views,  your  great  work  as  a 
Home  Missionary  Society,  this  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
must  be  in  cultivating  the  ground  you  have  already  gone  over. 
The  wave  of  emigration  has  spread  about  as  far  as  it  can.  It 
must  now  turn  to  the  work  of  filling  up  the  ground  already 
gone  over.  This  will  not  make  your  work  less  hopeful,  but 
more  so.  Our  western  population  will  be  obliged,  for  the 
next  twenty-five  years,  to  consolidate;  and  this  will  give  a  new 
impulse  to  Sabbath  schools  and  day  schools,  and  afford  facili- 
ties for  the  work  of  home  evangelization.  It  is  utterly  impossi- 
ble that  our  population  should  spread  over  as  much  territory  in 
the  northwest,  during  the  twenty-five  years  to  come,  as  in  the 
twenty-five  years  past.  There  is  no  place  for  them.  Those  who 
are  there,  and  the  few,  comparatively,  who  may  go  thither,  must 
be  cared  for;  but,  for  the  present,  there  can  be  only  a  limited 
population  in  these  regions.  The  work  of  missions  in  the  north- 
west, for  the  next  twenty-five  years,  is  to  be  what  the  work  of 
finishing  a  map  is  after  the  outlines  are  drawn. 

About  the  same  time  Mr.  Gaylord  wrote: 

There  is  a  very  good  body  of  timber  along  the  Missouri 
river  which  will  supply  settlers  on  each  side  for  a  considerable 
distance.  There  is  much  more  timber  off  from  the  river  than  a 
stranger  would  suppose,  if  merely  passing  through  the  country. 
I  believe  this  valley  of  the  Missouri  is  destined  to  a  very  rapid 
development,  and  will  yet  become  the  Garden  of  the  West — I 
speak  from  actual  knowledge,  after  a  residence  in  the  Territory 
of  between  three  and  four  years.  Already,  for  two  hundred 
miles  west  of  us  there  is  a  weekly  line  of  stage  coaches  through 
a  settled  region .  There  is  little  doubt  now  but  that  a  heavy 
population  will  be  scattered  along  the  eastern  base  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  within  the  opening  season,  and  that  permanent  settle- 


NEBRASKA    REGIMENTS.  249 

nients  will  be  made  there.  Towns  and  cities  will  spring  up,  and 
a  new  demand  will  be  made  upon  your  Society  to  extend  its 
operations  with  every  advancing  tide  of  emigration.  A  large 
number  of  professing  Christians  of  different  denominations 
have  passed  through  Omaha  on  their  way  thither,  embodying  a 
great  deal  of  energy  and  enterprise. 

Mr.  Gay  lord  was  naturally  patriotic,  an  ardent  lover  of 
his  country.  Perhaps  it  was  an  inherited  trait.  His  aged 
mother's  last  work  was  knitting  for  the  soldiers,  and  her 
father  had  laid  down  his  life  in  the  Revolutionary  army. 
However  that  may  be,  he  wras  deeply  moved  when  our 
civil  war  rent  the  heart  of  the  nation.  And  although 
so  far  from  the  scenes  of  the  conflict,  his  sermons  received 
a  coloring  from  the  smoke  of  the  battlefield,  and  his  public 
prayers  wrere  noticed  for  their  fervor,  as  he  poured  out  his 
soul  in  behalf  of  his  country  and  the  soldiers  who  were 
giving  their  lives  to  save  it.  Nebraska  was  not  so  far  away 
but  that  she  was  ready  to  take  her  part  in  service, 
and  Omaha  shared  in  the  excitement  and  enthusiasm 
which  prevailed  everywhere.  Two  regiments  were  raised. 
The  First  Nebraska,  recruited  mainly  at  Omaha,  left 
for  the  south  in  July,  1861,  under  command  of  Col.  J.  M. 
Thayer,  and  distinguished  itself  at  Fort  Donelson,  Pitts- 
burgh Landing  and  other  places.  Col.  Thayer  afterwards 
became  a  major-general.  We  give  a  short  account  of 
experiences  at  Donelson  in  his  own  words : 

"At  break  of  day  the  troops  were  all  landed  when  Grant 
joined  us.  He  immediately  brigaded  them  and  assigned  the 
brigades  to  divisions,  giving  me  the  command  of  six  regi- 
ments. It  was  then  that  the  First  Nebraska  came  under  fire  of 
a  real  battle  for  the  first  time.  *  *  *  *  My  brigade 
was  formed  across  the  road,  battery  in  the  road,  the  First 
Nebraska  supporting  it  on  the  right,  the  Fifty-eighth  Ohio  on 
the  left,  and  the  other  regiments  on  the  right  and  left.  Then 
that  brigade  received  and  met  the  onset  of  the  whole  rebel 
army .     In  three-quarters  of  an  hour  that  same  rebel  army  was 


250  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

on  a  hasty  retreat  back  into  its  works.     And  this  was  the  last 
attempt  it  made  to  break  through  our  lines  and  escape." 

Seven  companies  of  cavalry  were  also  sent  to  the  front. 
Mr.  Gaylord's  sympathies  and  prayers  followed  all  the 
soldiers  as  they  went  forth  in  the  service  of  their  country. 

But  in  those  terrible  days  the  terror  and  bloodshed  were 
not  all  at  the  south.  Away  to  the  north  the  Indians  had 
been  bearing  in  silence  the  invasion  of  Minnesota  by  the 
whites  and  the  false  faith  of  the  government  and  govern- 
ment officials.  Meanwhile  this  state  had,  like  other  states, 
been  sending  away  her  young  men  at  the  call  of  her 
country.  Yet  there  seemed  to  have  been  no  deliberately 
planned  movement  when  the  fearful  massacre  of  the  18th 
of  August,  1802,  burst  upon  southern  Minnesota.  One  of 
our  home  missionaries  thus  wrote  at  that  time:  "History 
has  seldom,  if  ever,  recorded  such  diabolical  acts  of  cruelty 
as  have  been  perpetrated  upon  helpless  women  and  inoffen- 
sive children.  Even  the  '  Sepoy  massacre '  can  scarcely  ex- 
ceed in  fiendish  barbarity  the  scenes  that  have  just  been 
enacted  here."  From  this  terrible  slaughter  the  survivors 
fled  in  great  numbers,  until  a  region  of  more  than  one  hun- 
dred square  miles  was  almost  wholly  depopulated. 

In  November  of  this  year,  1862,  the  first  battalion  of  the 
Second  Nebraska  was  mustered  into  service,  and  the  regi- 
ment was  filled  up  later.     In  1863  Mr.  Gay  lord  reported : 

The  Second  Nebraska  regiment,  of  twelve  hundred  men, 
cavalry,  was  raised  expressly  for  home  protection:  yet  with  the 
exception  of  three  companies,  who  manned  the  forts,  thus  re- 
leasing regulars  to  go  south,  it  has  been  ordered  out  of  the  ter- 
ritory, and  has  gone  with  the  expedition  against  the  hostile 
Indians  in  Minnesota  and  Dakota. 

Mr.  Heaton,  of  Fremont,  about  the  same  time  wrote  of 
this  regiment:  "  They  have  just  given  the  Indians  a  severe 
defeat,  one  which,  as  we  hope,  will  close  the  Indian  war." 

From  Mr.  Gavlord's  letters— 1861-1862 : 


A   TOUR   IN    IOWA.  251 

AVe  have  had  our  full  share  of  excitement,  growing  out  of 
the  state  of  the  country  and  local  influences.  AVe  noticed  the 
gathering  storm  until  it  broke  upon  the  country  in  the  attack 
upon  Fort  Sumter,  when  the  most  lively  feelings  of  patriotism 
were  aroused,  and  the  same  spirit  of  union  was  manifested  that 
characterizes  the  whole  North.  I  endeavored  to  improve  the 
state  of  feeling  by  two  appropriate  discourses  which  were  listened 
to  with  deep  interest  by  good  congregations.  My  object  was 
to  lead  the  people  to  recognize  the  Lord's  hand  in  this  crisis, 
and  to  feel  their  dependence  upon  Him. 

AVhile  the  emigration  to  the  mountains  has  been  less  than 
last  year,  that  to  the  Pacific  States  has  been  greater.  It  has 
been  a  perfect  flood.  Our  streets  were  full  for  several  weeks. 
As  that  subsided,  the  Mormon  tide  began  to  flow.  A  large 
number  of  the  "Saints"  are  now  at  Florence,  preparing  to 
depart  on  their  pilgrimage  to  Salt  Lake — "  the  promised  land." 
I  understand  they  are  in  quite  a  destitute  and  suffering  condi- 
tion. It  is  sad  to  think  how  they  are  deluded.  Hundreds  more 
are  expected.  The  troubles  in  Missouri  have  caused  many 
families  to  come  to  this  place  as  permanent  residents. 

Mrs.  Gay  lord  and  myself  enjoyed  a  very  pleasant  and  refresh- 
ing tour  of  two  weeks  the  latter  part  of  May  and  first  of  June. 
AVe  spent  some  time  at  Council  Bluffs,  Glen  wood,  Tabor,  and 
Civil  Bend,  in  Iowa,  in  each  of  which  places  is  a  Congregational 
church.  At  the  last  mentioned  place  we  spent  the  Sabbath. 
There  are  quite  a  number  of  New  England  families,  and,  with 
only  occasional  preaching,  they  have  kept  up  meetings  on  the 
Sabbath,  reading  one  of  Beecher's  sermons,  and  having  Sabbath 
school.  I  preached  in  the  morning  to  a  large  congregation,  who 
listened  with  apparently  great  relish  to  the  word,  and  at  the 
close  administered  the  Lord's  Supper.  By  request,  I  gave  an 
appointment  for  preaching  in  the  afternoon  at  a  school-house, 
two  miles  from  where  the  morning  service  was  held.  There 
they  have  a  Sabbath  school  in  the  afternoon.  Although  the 
wind  blew  a  gale,  so  that  my  way  was  obstructed  by  a  large 
tree  that  had  just  been  blown  down,  yet  I  found  between  sixty 
and  seventy  assembled,  anxious  to  listen  to  the  word  of  life. 


252  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

From  thence  we  passed  over  to  Nebraska  City,  went  to  Brown- 
ville,  and  on  our  return  visited  Weeping  "Water  Falls,  where  I 
spent  the  Sabbath. 

Later : 

The  emigration,  both  to  California  and  Utah  has  been  very 
large.  For  several  weeks,  from  twenty-five  to  one  hundred 
teams  crossed  at  one  ferry  daily,  bound  for  the  Pacific  slope, 
while  about  five  thousand  Mormons  have  gone  from  this  point 
and  Florence  to  Salt  Lake.  Nearly  two  thousand  of  these  were 
from  Europe  this  year,  and  many  of  them  were  of  a  better 
class  than  usual.  I  conversed  with  some  of  those  from  England, 
and  found  them  intelligent  and  well  educated.  They  are  firm 
in  their  belief  in  Mormonism,  and  openly  defend  the  doctrine 
of  polygamy.  Their  zeal  and  self-sacrifice  for  their  faith  are 
worthy  of  a  better  cause,  and  might  well  be  imitated  by  the 
followers  of  Christ.  They  teach  publicly,  that  this  valley  is 
their  New  Jerusalem,  that  they  are  to  possess  this  land  as  theirs, 
and  that  Brigham  Young  will  be  the  next  president  of  the 
United  States.  A  very  large  amount  of  materials  for  con- 
structing the  Pacific  Telegraph  has  been  landed  at  this  point  and 
transported  in  wagons  up  the  Platte  Valley. 

Omaha  for  several  weeks  presented  quite  a  military  appear- 
ance. The  regiment  called  for  from  Nebraska  was  quartered 
and  drilled  here  until  it  was  full,  after  which  it  was  ordered 
south,  and  is  at  present  in  the  midst  of  the  conflict  in  southern 
Missouri.     Rev.  G.W.Tipton, of  Brown ville,  is  their  chaplain. 

It  is  very  quiet  here  now,  business  is  dull,  and  all  are  look- 
ing forward  to  a  more  severe  pecuniary  trial  than  we  have  yet 
experienced.  We  find,  even  now,  a  good  deal  of  destitution  and 
suffering  an  occasion  for  the  dispensing  of  charity  for  the  relief 
of  those  in  want. 

His  last  report  for  the  year  1861,  as  published  in  the 
Home  Missionary,  is  entitled  "A  Busy  Man."     He  says : 

Besides  my  service  with  my  own  church  once  each  Sabbath, 
and  the  superintendence  of  the  Sunday  school,  every  alternate 
Sabbath  afternoon,  until  the  days  became  too  short  I  went  out 


THE    HEAVENLY    FATHER'S    CARE.  253 

eight  miles  to  preach.  The  last  time  I  was  there  the  congrega- 
tion was  the  largest  of  the  season,  and  the  interest  manifested 
made  me  sorry  to  suspend  my  appointments.  The  last  Sabbath 
in  October  I  was  at  Decatur.  Preached  three  times,  adminis- 
tered the  sacrament,  and  preached  also  at  DeSoto,  twenty  miles 
north  of  Omaha,  on  my  return.  I  have  been  twice  this  month 
to  Fort  Calhoun,  fifteen  miles  north,  and  preached  on  Sabbath 
night.  Good  and  attentive  congregations  always  receive  the 
word  with  gladness.  I  have  also  been  to  a  settlement  thirteen 
miles  south,  on  the  Platte  river,  where  I  am  solicited  to  preach 
as  often  as  practicable.  They  had  a  good  house  of  worship, 
but  two  weeks  ago  it  was  destroyed  by  a  prairie  fire,  driven 
through  the  settlement  by  a  furious  wind.  It  was  a  perilous 
time,  and  much  other  property  was  burned. 

The  following  extracts  tell  of  home  missionary  expe- 
riences that  are  being  repeated  in  these  later  days : 

After  weeks  of  expectation  our  hearts  were  made  glad  by 
the  reception  of  your  draft  for  the  quarter  ending  May  16.  It 
came  to  hand  October  7,  and  relieved  for  the  time  a  burden  of 
care  and  anxiety,  enabling  me  to  pay  the  debts  that  had  been 
accumulating  by  its  delay.  Never  was  a  draft  received  with 
so  much  pleasure  and  gratitude.  When  this  report  reaches  you 
there  will  be  six  months'  pay  due  from  the  Society. 

Three  weeks  ago  we  received  your  notification  of  the  ship- 
ment to  us  of  a  box  of  clothing,  prepared  by  the  "Ladies' 
Benevolent  Society"  and  the  "Juvenile  Mite  Society"  of  the 
"South  Church,  New  Britain,  Conn."  In  this  we  found  new 
evidence  of  a  Father's  tender  care  over  us.  The  season  was  so 
far  advanced  that  we  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  our  ward- 
robe would  not  be  supplied  in  this  way  this  winter.  But,  day 
before  yesterday,  the  last  boat  of  the  season  brought  us  the  ex- 
pected and  welcome  treasure.  It  was  delivered  at  our  door 
about  the  close  of  the  day.  After  tea  we  repaired  to  the  study, 
opened  the  box,  and  then  knelt  around  it  to  offer  up  thanks- 
giving to  God  and  to  pray  for  His  blessing  upon  the  donors. 
We  then  proceeded  to  lay  out  the  articles  one  by  one.     The 


254  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

children  were  full  of  excitement,  and  as  often  as  something  of 
special  interest  to  them  came  to  light,  shouts  of  joy  would  fol- 
low. The  evening  was  one  long  to  be  remembered  in  our  fam- 
ily. We  found  the  various  articles  of  excellent  quality,  and 
many  of  them,  and  those  of  the  greatest  value,  just  such  as  we 
now  need.  Those  that  we  cannot  use  we  shall  put  into  other 
missionary  families  where  they  will  be  useful.  This  is  a  great 
blessing  to  us,  and  we  feel  grateful  to  you  for  sending  it  at 
this  time. 

I  have  now  spent  six  j^ears  in  Nebraska  in  the  work  of  the 
ministry.  They  have  been  years  of  toil,  exposure,  trial.  I 
have  shrunk  from  no  labor  or  hardship,  that  I  might  do  the 
work  of  laying  good  foundations.  I  long  to  see  the  time  of 
harvest  when  precious  souls  shall  be  gathered  into  the  fold  of 
Christ. 

An  early  appeal  for  a  bell  bad  reached  at  least  one  in- 
terested family.  A  pastor  in  New  Hampshire  wrote  to  him : 
"  After  the  reading  of  your  report  to  my  family,  the  question 
went  around,  What  will  you  give,  rather  than  that  bell 
should  not  be  furnished?  The  result  of  the  answer  was 
$10,  $5,  $5,  $0.50— $20.50."  The  bell  was  at  last  secured— 
an  amalgam.  It  was  highly  recommended,  and  came 
within  our  possibilities  financially,  while  one  of  bell  metal 
could  not  at  that  time  have  been  secured.  But  it  did  not 
prove  satisfactory,  and  was  afterwards  sold  to  a  fire  company. 

The  Home  Missionary  for  May,  1863,  contains  an  inter- 
esting account  from  Mr.  Gaylord's  pen  of  the  organization 
of  a  most  promising  church  at  Nebraska  City.  The  minis- 
ters present  were :  Mr.  Gaylord,  moderator  of  the  council ; 
Rev.  John  Todd,  of  Tabor,  Iowa,  and  Rev.  A.  V.  House. 
Mr.  Gaylord  says  of  the  members  of  the  new  organization: 

They  came  from  Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  New  York  and 
Wisconsin,  and  they  felt,  as  several  expressed  with  deep  emo- 
tion, that  they  were  coming  home.  Some  said  it  was  the  best 
day  they  had  seen  for  six  years.     There  is  among  them  a  clear 


QUARTER    CENTURY    REVIEW.  255 

understanding  of  our  church-polity,  and  a  true  love  of  it. 
They  showed  a  deep  and  rich  religious  experience,  which  was 
listened  to  witli  tearful  interest;  and  there  is  also  a  large  amount 
of  executive  ability  and  a  remarkable  spirit  of  unity  that  gives 
promise  of  a  healthful  and  vigorous  growth.  They  have  come 
together  to  work  for  God,  and  they  have  the  right  idea  of  a 
church.  They  have  appointed  their  weekly  praj^er  meeting, 
and  whether  they  have  preaching  or  not,  design  to  maintain 
regular  Sabbath  worship.  I  felt  the  occasion  to  be  one  of  the 
most  delightful  seasons  of  my  life.  The  church  is  located  in  a 
region  where  it  will  find  scope  to  exert  itself,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  it  will  make  its  influence  felt  as  a  power  for  good. 
They  are  anti-slavery,  and  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  reform 
movements  and  missionary  operations  of  the  day. 

In  December,  1863,  Mr.  Gaylord  preached  his  quarter- 
century  sermon.     He  afterwards  wrote : 

Twenty-five  years  ago,  on  the  first  Sabbath  in  December,  I 
commenced  my  ministerial  work  under  commission  from  the 
American  Home  Missionary  Society,  at  Mount  Pleasant,  Iowa. 
It  has  been  an  eventful  period,  effecting  wonderful  changes  in 
the  aspect  of  the  Western  field,  and  I  could  only  say,  in  the 
review,  What  hath  God  wrought!  And  among  the  human  in- 
strumentalities employed  in  producing  these  changes  for  good 
your  honored  Society  has  taken  the  lead.  What  a  history  will 
be  written  of  the  quarter  of  a  century  now  opening  upon  us! 
No  human  foresight  can  read  the  unwritten  document,  and  I 
doubt  not  our  present  anticipations  will  fall  as  far  short  of  the 
reality  that  time  will  reveal ,  as  the  visions  of  twenty-five  years 
ago  fell  short  of  what  we  now  see.  What  motives  to  Christian 
labor  press  upon  us! 

January,  1864. — The  anxiety  for  an  increase  of  ministers 
becomes  more  intense — amounting  to  pain — the  longer  the  des- 
titution continues.  In  my  annual  Home  Missionary  discourse 
I  endeavored  to  set  forth  with  plainness  the  great  principles  of 
duty  which  should  guide  the  people  of  God  in  the  use  of  prop- 
erty, after  which  I  presented,  briefly,  the  claims  of  the  cause 


256  LIFE   OF   REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

upon  us,  and  called  for  a  thank  offering,  in  view  of  God's 
mercies.  The  response  has  been  gratifying  to  rne — so  free, 
cheerful,  hearty.  The  church  organized  at  Nebraska  City,  a 
bright  spot  in  the  history  of  last  year,  has  called  one  minister, 
but  he  has  gone  south  to  the  freedmen,  and  I  have  introduced 
another  there. 

Things  have  begun  to  wear  a  more  cheerful  aspect,  and 
there  is  more  material  prosperity.  Everybody  is  busy,  and  all 
that  we  seem  to  need  now,  to  give  a  new  face  to  everything,  is 
a  few  more  working  men  in  the  field,  with  the  blessing  of  God 
to  crown  their  labors  with  success.  I  am  doing  all  I  can,  in 
connection  with  Rev.  Mr.  Heed,  your  agent,  to  find  men  to 
meet  the  present  want,  but  thus  far  without  success. 

Seven  hundred  Mormons  came  up  the  other  day  on  the  boat. 
They  came  on  the  deck,  furnishing  their  own  provisions.  But 
on  their  arrival  their  stores  had  failed  them;  they  had  exhausted 
the  boat's  supply,  and  scattered  themselves  over  our  town, 
begging  food.  What  must  they  suffer  before  they  reach  the 
Mormon  paradise — Salt  Lake  City!  It  is  sad  to  think  of  what 
is  before  them.  Many  of  those  that  have  come  over  from 
Europe  this  year  are  without  means.  They  are  brought  through 
by  the  church  emigration  fund.  Wagons  have  been  sent  down 
from  Salt  Lake  to  take  out  their  baggage,  while  men,  women 
and  children  are  compelled  to  walk  the  entire  distance  from 
here  to  Utah!  Surely,  it  is  a  pilgrimage.  Some  have  had  their 
eyes  open  to  see  their  error,  and  have  concluded  to  go  no 
farther . 

The  New  England  donation  party  made  its  way  across 
the  Missouri  in  1864  and  invaded  the  home  of  the  faithful 
home  missionary  pastor.     He  gives  this  account  of  it : 

Last  Wednesday  evening  our  hearts  were  made  glad  by  a 
visit  from  our  own  people  and  others.  They  filled  the  house 
in  every  part;  all  seemed  happy,  and  we  found  ourselves  the 
richer,  not  only  by  the  pleasure  of  the  occasion,  but  by  sub- 
si  initial  gifts  to  the  amount  of  more  than  $100.  Of  this  $50 
was  in  money,  and  the  balance  in  provisions  and  a  fine  parlor 


LOCATION    OF    THE    UNION    PACIFIC    RAILROAD.  257 

carpet.  The  ladies  propose  to  substitute  this  for  one  that  we 
have  had  in  use  for  sixteen  years,  and  to  place  the  latter  upon 
the  floor  of  my  study,  which  has  been  partly  bare  for  some 
time.  This  was  all  planned  without  our  knowledge,  and  exe- 
cuted in  a  manner  calculated  to  bind  us  more  strongby  in  love 
to  them  for  their  cheerful  and  generous  gifts.  Our  earnest 
prayer  is  that  God  would  bless  the  donors  in  temporal  things, 
and  send  down  upon  them  rich  showers  of  divine  grace. 

Mr.  Gaylord  was  greatly  interested  in  all  public  im- 
provements, and  was  especially  happy  over  the  advent  of 
the  Union  Pacific  railroad.  It  was  what  had  been  long 
desired,  expected,  and  waited  for.  The  very  greatness  of 
such  a  gigantic  enterprise  as  this  "  world's  highway  "  was 
uplifting  and  stimulating  to  thought  and  action.  He  had 
often  said :  "  We  shall  have  this  road,  and  it  will  be  located 
here  " — indicating  that  part  of  the  city  where  it  did  begin. 
He  looked  at  it  in  its  local  bearings  upon  us,  so  isolated  and 
needy,  but  much  more  as  an  inestimable  boon  to  our  be- 
loved country;  and,  both  higher  and  deeper  than  all,  as 
helping  forward  the  progress  of  that  Christianity  which  he 
longed  should  be  hastened  on,  until  multitudes  more  would 
yield  joyful  allegiance  to  the  Prince  of  Peace. 

Mr.  Gaylord  wrote  for  the  Boston  Recorder  an  account  of 
the  beginnings  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  which  presents 
a  most  interesting  passage  in  the  history  of  Nebraska.  He 
says : 

The  first  idea  of  such  a  road  was  to  connect  the  waters  of 
the  Mississippi  with  the  Pacific  Ocean.  This  measure  was  pub- 
licly advocated  by  Mr.  Asa  Whitney,  as  early  as  1846,  and  from 
that  time  to  1850  he  agitated  the  scheme  in  addresses  to  state 
Legislatures  and  at  public  meetings.  Col.  Benton,  of  Missouri, 
for  a  long  period  advocated  it  in  the  United  States  Senate  and 
before  the  people.  The  explorations  of  Fremont  advanced  the 
project.  It  was  a  part  of  Whitney's  proposal  to  build  the  road, 
if  Congress  would  give  to  him  and  his  heirs  one-half  of 
the    land    for  thirty  miles  on    either    side    of    it,   a    measure 

17 


258  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

which  forms  a  part  of  the  bonus  now  actually  offered  as  an  en- 
couragement to  the  building  of  the  road.  In  1853  Congress 
made  an  appropriation  of  $150,000  to  defray  the  expenses  of 
surveying  routes  across  the  Rocky  Mountains,  till  that  time  an 
almost  unknown  region.  Repeated  attempts  were  made  to  ob- 
tain in  Congress  the  passage  of  a  bill  providing  for  the  con- 
struction of  a  railroad  across  the  Continent.  All  these,  how- 
ever, failed  through  the  opposition  of  the  Southern  members, 
until  their  retirement  from  their  seats  in  the  national  council. 
As  one  of  the  first  fruits  of  the  rebellion,  a  liberal  bill  for  a 
Pacific  railroad  was  framed  and  enacted  into  a  law.  This  was 
done  at  the  extra  session  of  Congress,  held  in  the  summer  of 
1861.  It  provided  for  a  main  trunk  road  to  commence  on  the 
100th  parallel  of  longitude,  somewhere  between  the  north  bluff 
of  the  Platte  river  and  the  south  bluff  of  the  Republican  fork 
of  the  Kansas  river.  On  that  parallel  the  two  streams  are  not 
over  thirty  miles  from  each  other,  and  both  in  Nebraska.  To 
connect  this  main  trunk  with  the  Missouri  are  three  branches, 
one  from  the  mouth  of  the  Kansas  river  to  run  through  the 
state  of  Kansas,  a  second  from  the  west  boundary  of  Iowa  on 
the  Missouri  river,  and  a  third  from  opposite  Sioux  City  on  the 
same  river.  The  precise  location  of  the  initial  point  of  the 
main  trunk  and  also  of  the  second  branch  was  to  be  fixed,  ac- 
cording to  the  terms  of  the  bill,  by  the  President  of  the  United 
States.  This  location,  so  far  as  the  second  branch,  or  main 
trunk  was  concerned,  was  fixed  in  November,  1863,  at  Omaha 
City,  by  President  Lincoln. 

The  announcement  of  this  *  was  received  in  Omaha  by  tele- 
gram on  the  second  day  of  December,  1863,  and  it  was  resolved 
to  break  ground  the  same  day.  In  the  afternoon  a  large  con- 
course of  people  assembled  to  celebrate  the  event,  and  speeches 
were  made  by  Hon.  A.J.  Poppleton,  Ma3ror  B.  E.  B.  Kennedy, 
Mr.  George  B.  Lake,  and  other  prominent  citizens.  Mr.  Pop- 
pleton read  a  congratulatory  telegram  from  Gov.  Yates,  of 
Illinois,  who  was  one  of  the  first  two   graduates  from  Illinois 

*  The  first  telegraph  line  to  Omaha  was  built  from  St.  Louis  and  completed  in  October, 
1860.    Omaha  was  thus  connected  with  all  eastern  cities. 


BUILDING    OF    THE    UNION    PACIFIC.  259 

College  in  1837  [the  last  year  of  Mr.  Gay  lord's  connection  with 
that  institution  as  tutor  in  the  Preparatory  Department.] 

The  distance  from  Omaha  to  the  100th  parallel  by  the  course 
of  the  road  will  be  about  240  miles,  though  somewhat  less  on  a 
direct  line. 

The  grading  upon  this  part  of  the  work  was  commenced  in 
the  spring  of  1864,  but  during  that  season  only  a  small  force  of 
hands  was  employed,  laborers  were  made  so  scarce  by  reason  of 
the  war.  No  material  for  the  superstructure  was  brought  to 
this  place  during  that  year.  The  first  locomotive  was  landed 
at  Omaha  on  the  9th  day  of  July  last,  brought  by  boat  from 
St.  Joseph.  All  the  material,  iron,  cars,  etc.,  have  to  be 
brought  in  the  same  way,  as  there  is  no  railroad  east  of  us 
nearer  than  140  miles.  The  ties  are  obtained  along  the  river 
above  us,  and  are  rafted  or  boated  down.  A  considerable  quan- 
tity of  iron  and  ties  had  been  delivered  previous  to  July,  1865, 
on  the  bank  of  the  river  at  this  place. 

The  la3ring  of  track  commenced  sometime  in  July.  The 
route  of  the  road  is  very  circuitous  till  it  enters  the  valley  of 
the  Platte,  being  nine  or  ten  miles  further  than  in  a  right  line. 
This  extra  distance  is  run  to  obtain  a  more  favorable  grade. 
From  its  entrance  into  the  Platte  valley — by  the  road  a  distance 
of  twenty-six  miles — the  course  is  so  near  a  straight  line  that 
the  curvatures,  which  are  few,  are  very  slight,  and  there  is  one 
section  in  the  second  hundred  miles,  of  seventy-five  miles  with- 
out a  curve.  There  is  perhaps  no  other  route  in  the  world  of 
equal  length  so  favorable  for  the  construction  and  running  of  a 
railroad  as  this  valley  affords.  The  road  is  definitely  located 
for  two  hundred  miles  on  the  north  side  of  the  Platte.  More 
than  one  hundred  miles  are  graded  and  more  than  forty  miles  of 
track  are  laid.  In  the  first  three  hundred  miles,  at  least,  there 
is  but  one  expensive  bridge  to  be  built.  That  is  over  the  Loup 
Fork  of  the  Platte,  and  will  be  one  thousand  five  hundred  feet 
long.  The  grade  in  this  valley,  so  far  as  the  road  is  traveled, 
is  about  an  average  of  seven  feet  to  the  mile.  One  hundred 
miles  must  be  completed  by  the  first  of  July  next. 

For  the   last  four  months  the  company  has   shown    great 


260  LIFE   OP   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

energy  in  prosecuting  this  work.  They  have  a  Burnetizer, 
which  is  worked  by  a  steam  engine,  and  consists  of  a  large  iron 
cylinder  seventy-five  feet  long  and  five  feet  in  diameter.  The 
object  of  this  is  to  harden  soft  and  perishable  timber  and  ren- 
der it  durable.  Cars  holding  300  cross-ties  are  run  at  a  time 
into  the  cylinder,  the  doors  are  closed,  the  air  exhausted  by  a 
pump,  and  the  cells  of  the  wood  are  thus  cleared  of  sap. 
Chloride  of  lime  is  then  allowed  to  fill  up  the  vacuum, 
when  it  is  forced  into  the  pores  of  the  wood  by  a  pump 
driven  by  steam.  A  large  proportion  of  our  timber  is  cotton- 
wood,  and  if  by  this  process  it  can  be  rendered  durable,  it  will 
be  of  great  advantage,  not  only  to  the  railroad  company,  but 
for  man}*  other  purposes.  This  machine  is  capable  of  preparing 
1200  ties  in  twenty-four  hours.  There  is  every  indication  that 
this  great  national  work  is  to  be  pushed  forward  with  vigor, 
and  that  the  iron  horse,  now  starting  on  his  way  from  the  waters 
of  the  Missouri,  is  at  no  distant  da}7  to  meet  the  steed  that 
comes  from  the  Golden  Gate  of  the  Pacific. 

Little,  as  yet,  do  we  conceive  of  the  wonderful  changes 
that  are  to  be  wrought  in  the  regions  between  us  and  the  Pacific 
by  this  gigantic  undertaking,  or  the  work  that  is  to  be  rolled 
upon  the  church,  to  give  the  Gospel  to  the  future  millions  of 
the  mighty  West  that  is  just  springing  into  life. 

I  had  the  pleasure  yesterday  of  meeting  Maj.  Gen.  Curtis, 
one  of  the  commissioners,  whom  I  met  on  this  spot  nearly  ten 
years  since.  The  hardships  of  war  and  severe  family  affliction 
have  left  their  mark  visibly  upon  his  manly  form. 

A  company  is  now  being  organized  to  be  incorporated  by 
the  Legislature  of  Nebraska,  with  its  headquarters  in  New  York, 
to  be  called  the  Pacific  Cottage  and  Land  Association,  to  en- 
courage immigration  and  the  settlement  of  the  country.  It 
will  possess  capital  and  character.  A  purchase  of  several  hun- 
dred acres  of  choice  land  has  just  been  made  within  and  adjoin- 
ing the  limits  of  this  city  for  this  company. 


IX 


WIDER    USEFULNESS. 


1864-1870. 


Press  bravely  onward:  not  in  vain 

Your  generous  trust  in  human  kind, 

The  good  which  bloodshed  could  not  gain 
Your  peaceful  zeal  shall  find. 


—  Whittier. 


I  know  not,  and  I  do  not  care  to  know 

Why;  for  eternity's  great  ends 

God  counted  nie  as  worthy  of  such  trust. 

— Selected. 

Patience,  my  lord!    Wlvy,  'tis  the  soul  of  peace 
Of  all  the  virtues,  nearest  kin  to  heaven: 

The  best  of  men 
That  ere  wore  earth  about  him,  did  possess 
A  patient,  humble,  tranquil  spirit. 

— Decker. 

"The  way  of   the  just  is  uprightness:   Thou,  most  upright,  dost 
weigh  the  path  of  the  just." 

"But  the  land  whither  ye  go  is  a  land  of  hills  aad  valleys — a  land 
which  the  Lord  thy  God  careth  for."' 


CHAPTER  IX. 
Home  Missionary  Superintendent. 

Needed  Rest  —  Appointment  as  "Agent"  of  the  A.  H.  M.  S. — Bush- 
whackers—Omaha Pastors — Revival  at  Glenwood — Delegate 
to  National  Council — Explorations — Organization  of  Churches 
at  Greenwood,  Oakfield,  Bartlett,  Camp  Creek,  Columbus, 
Schuyler,  Elkhorn  and  Milford — Omaha  Off  the  List — S.  S. 
Work — Resignation — Trip  to  Utah — Touring  in  Colorado. 

THE  year  1864  opened  with  brightening  prospects  for 
our  beloved  country.  Through  the  smiles  of  a  kind 
Providence  upon  the  valor  and  heroism  of  our  soldiers  the 
dark  clouds  of  war  were  being  lifted,  and  the  people  saw 
with  prophetic  vision,  the  sunshine  of  peace  beginning  to 
dawn  upon  them.  Omaha,  too,  was  feeling  the  inspiration 
of  better  times  and  of  returning  prosperity.  The  prospect 
of  peace  in  the  near  future,  and  work  begun  on  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad,  stimulated  a  revival  of  business  and  gave 
our  citizens  courage  to  undertake  new  enterprises  for  the 
general  welfare.  But  early  in  the  month  of  August  this 
bow  of  promise  was  suddenly  obscured,  and  Omaha  in- 
tensely excited  by  a  rumored  invasion  from  guerrillas  and 
Indians.  Roving  bands  of  Sioux,  said  to  be  led  by  rebel 
white  men  disguised  as  savages,  had  been  committing 
depredations  in  the  Platte  and  Elkhorn  valleys.  The  re- 
membrances of  raids  in  Kansas  by  Quantrell's  band,  which 
had  destroyed  the  city  of  Lawrence  only  a  few  months 
before,  helped  to  increase  the  excitement.  But  those  fears 
were  not  realized,  and  before  winter  came  on,  the  city  had 
again  settled  down  to  the  peaceful  pursuit  of  her  wonted 
occupations. 

The  spring  of  1864  found  Mr.  Gaylord  with  his  nervous 
system  so  impaired  by  excessive  labor  that  he  could  scarcely 


264  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

control  his  hand  to  write  a  letter.  Rest  was  imperative. 
The  story  of  this  time  and  of  the  change  in  his  relations  to 
the  churches  of  Nebraska  is  thus  told  by  himself: 

In  1864  I  found  myself  so  worn  down  with  the  labor  of  all 
these  years,  pursued  without  cessation,  that  my  church  voted 
me  a  vacation  of  three  mouths,  or  four,  if  necessary,  for  rest 
and  travel.  I  went  east,  and  on  my  way  attended  a  meeting  of 
the  General  Association  of  Illinois  at  Quincy.  There  I  met  Dr. 
Badger,  Secretary  of  the  A.  II.  M.  S.,  and  conferred  with  him 
in  regard  to  the  appointment  of  an  agent  for  Nebraska,  which 
the  growing  work  demanded.  He  said  he  thought  the  state  of 
the  treasury  would  warrant  appointing  one  at  that  time,  and 
added,  "If  we  make  the  appointment  you  must  be  the  man." 
He  gave  me  a  letter  to  Mr.  Noyes,  who  shared  with  him  the 
labors  of  the  Secretary's  office,  and  the  result  was  that  I  was 
sent  back  in  the  autumn  to  act  in  the  capacity  of  agent  of  the 
A.  II .  M.  S.  for  Nebraska, and  two  tiers  of  counties  in  Western 
Iowa. 

The  office  of  "agent"  was  that  now  known  as  superin- 
tendent. Of  his  visit  to  old  friends  and  the  old  home  he 
writes : 

On  the  23d  of  May  last,  Mrs. Gay  lord  and  myself  left  Omaha 
for  the  east,  and  availed  ourselves  of  the  opportunhVy  to  mingle 
with  Christian  friends  in  a  region  where  gospel  institutions  were 
established  long  ago.  Very  pleasant  was  the  cordial  greeting  of 
old  friends  and  their  heartfelt  sympathy  in  the  pioneer  home 
missionary  work — and  most  refreshing  to  come  in  contact  with, 
and  feel  the  warm  pulse-beat  of  Christian  hearts.  It  was  a  rare 
privilege  that  I  enjoyed,  and  one  not  soon  to  be  forgotten,  of 
listening  to  such  men  as  Dr.  Storrs,  Dr.  Budington  and  Rev.  II. 
W.  Beecher  of  Brooklyn,  and  Dr.  Thompson  and  Dr.  Adams  of 
New  York,  as  well  as  others,  and  of  participating  in  the  deliber- 
ations of  the  venerable  ecclesiastical  bodies  of  Connecticut  and 
Massachusetts,  with  the  more  youthful  one  of  New  York,  and 


A    LETTER    TO    OMAHA    SABBATH    SCHOOL.  265 

representing  there  the  great  and  growing  interests  of  Nebraska 
and  the  region  beyond. 

Bnt  the  most  precious  and  tender  of  all  was  nry  visit  to  Nor- 
folk, my  birth-place,  the  home  of  my  mother,  who  still  lives  to 
pray  and  labor,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety.  We  wept  and 
rejoiced,  and  prayed  together.  With  memory  perfect  and 
faculties  unimpaired,  she  waits  joyfully  the  coming  of  her 
Savior  to  take  her  to  Himself. 

From  a  letter  to  the  Congregational  Sabbath  school  at 
Omaha,  written  while  east : 

June  27. — Dear  Children:  It  is  now  five  weeks  since  I 
last  met  with  you,  but  you  have  not  been  forgotten  for  a  single 
day.  We  reached  Quincy  on  the  Mississippi  river,  the  third 
da}7  after  leaving  Omaha,  and  there  I  attended  the  General 
Association  of  Illinois.  There  are  four  hospitals  of  wounded 
soldiers  in  Quincy.  The  ministers  visited,  talked  and  prayed 
with  them,  and  the  soldiers  seemed  much  pleased.  We  had  a 
lecture  before  a  large  congregation ,  by  a  chaplain  who  was  five 
months  in  Libb}7  prison  in  Richmond.  He  gave  us  many  thrill- 
ing incidents  of  his  prison  experience.  On  Sunday  afternoon 
all  the  Sabbath  school  children  of  Quincy  were  invited  to  come 
together  in  a  large  hall.  Among  those  who  addressed  them  was 
a  missionaiy  from  the  Micronesian  islands  in  the  Southern 
ocean.  He  showed  their  ornaments  and  some  articles  of  dress, 
and  told  the  children  many  things  about  them  in  their  heathen 
state.  I  thought  how  highly  favored  our  children  are,  who  can 
attend  Sabbath  school,  learn  God's  word,  and  the  way  of  eternal 
life! 

From  Quincy  we  traveled  about  fifty-six  hours  to  New  York 
city,  where  I  attended  several  Sabbath  schools.  In  one  of  them 
are  six  hundred  scholars.  1  made  an  address  to  them  and  told 
them  about  my  Sabbath  school,  where  it  was,  and  how  far  away. 
It  was  pleasant  to  look  upon  so  many  happ}7  faces,  and  to  speak 
to  them  and  see  the  interest  they  manifested.  The}7  sang  some 
beautiful  hymns,  and  were  led  in  their  music  by  a  cabinet  organ 
like  ours.     I  also  attended  a  mission  school,  where  the  children 


266  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

are  gathered  from  some  part  of  the  city  in  which  there  is 
no  church  or  Sunday  school,  and  taught  to  read  the  Bible 
and  sing  and  learn  about  God.  It  is  a  work  which  I  think  the 
angels  must  love  to  look  down  upon.  There  is  a  multitude  of 
interesting  objects  in  the  great  city  of  New  York.  I  went 
through  the  Bible  House,  and  saw  the  steam  presses  where  they 
print  our  Bibles  and  Testaments.  It  is  a  very  large  building, 
several  stories  high,  and  they  make  ten  Bibles  every  minute.  A 
great  many  of  these  are  distributed  among  the  soldiers.  I 
also  visited  one  of  the  iron-clad  ships.  It  is  a  monitor  and  is 
called  the  "Dictator."  It  has  two  guns  that  will  send  a  ball 
weighing  450  pounds.  These  balls  are  of  solid  iron,  and  are 
designed  to  aid  in  putting  down  the  rebellion.  I  expect  to  go 
to  Boston  soon,  where  those  beautiful  papers  are  printed  which 
you  receive  every  Sabbath,  and  intend  to  see  Mr.  Sargent, 
who  sends  them  to  you,  and  Mr.  Bullard,  who  prepares  the 
material  for  the  paper.  I  shall  love  to  tell  them  about  our  Sab- 
bath school  in  the  far  west.  Now  I  want  to  know  how  many  of 
you  are  present  every  Sabbath ,  and  how  many  of  the  teachers  are 
always  there,  for  I  have  not  forgotten  the  promise  I  made  the 
last  Sabbath  I  was  with  you.  I  love  to  pray  for  the  dear  lambs 
of  my  flock .  I  want  to  hear  from  you ,  and  do  hope  you  will  all 
learn  to  love  the  dear  Savior  who  died  for  you,  and  who  said, 
"Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not, 
for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 

Andover,  Massachusetts,  July  4,  1864.  —  This  is  the 
nation's  birthday.  It  is  a  lovely  morning,  and  all  nature 
smiles.  God  be  praised  that  the  nation  still  lives.  We  had  a 
very  pleasant  meeting  of  Association  at  Springfield,  where  I 
was  the  guest  of  Bro.  Buckingham.  His  wife  died  about  one 
year  since.  A  very  fine  daughter  did  the  honors  of  the  table, 
and  is  a  great  comfort  to  the  afflicted  father.  Mr.  Langworthy 
was  my  room-mate.  Besides  making  my  report  as  delegate,  I 
assisted  at  the  communion  and  took  part  in  the  discussion  of  the 
convention  question.  The  meeting  seemed  spirited,  and  a  deep 
sense  of  responsibility  evidently  pervaded  the  minds  of  the 
ministers.     I  met  Edwin   Jaggar,  and  very  glad  he  was  to  see 


dr.  badger's  letter.  267 

me.  He  is  east  on  account  of  the  health  of  his  wife.  I  am 
stopping  here  in  Andover  with  Bro.  Taylor,  of  the  class  next 
after  me  in  college,  and  enjoy  it  very  much.  Spent  Saturday 
in  calling  on  and  conversing  with  students,  and  tarried  an  hour 
with  Prof.  Phelps.  Yesterday  I  heard  two  excellent  sermons 
by  Prof.  Jewett  of  Salem.  In  the  evening  the  time  was  given 
me  to  talk  upon  home  missions.  The  number  of  students  in 
Andover  Seminary  is  unusually  small,  the  calls  numerous  and 
urgent,  but  I  have  hope  that  my  visit  may  not  be  altogether 
in  vain.     Expect  to  be  in  Hartford  on  Wednesday. 

At  the  time  that  Mr.  Gaylord  met  Dr.  Badger  at  Quincy, 
Illinois,  the  Doctor  was  in  very  poor  health  and  unable  to 
resume  his  work  at  the  rooms  of  the  Society  until  July. 
At  that  time  he  wrote  to  Mr.  G. : 

I  was  happy  to  find  that  the  arrangement  which  we  con- 
templated in  Quincy  for  securing  your  services  in  the  agency  in 
Nebraska,  had  been  completed,  and  that  you  had  gone  on  to 
New  England,  in  the  inspiration  of  this,  to  raise  the  Macedonian 
cry.  Your  report  of  your  labors  and  visit  here  we  have  received 
and  read  with  great  interest.  We  hope  you  may  be  able  to 
secure  a  good  man  to  take  your  place  in  Omaha,  and  several 
others  to  cast  in  their  lot  with  you,  but  you  will  have  to  follow 
them  up  with  a  sharp  stick.  We  get  a  great  many  glorious 
nibbles,  and  sometimes  a  fine  fish  out  of  the  water,  when  he 
slips  the  hook,  and  away  he  goes.  But  we  hope  you  will  have 
better  fortune.  We  will  send  out  all  you  can  persuade  to  go, 
and  authorize  }^ou  to  visit  them  again,  if  need  be,  to  secure  them. 

It  is  a  great  and  glorious  work  upon  which  you  have  now 
entered — in  keeping  with  all  your  past  life — and  will  round  it 
off,  I  trust,  into  a  beautiful  whole,  to  be  crowned  with  the 
recompense  of  those  who  "turn  many  to  righteousness." 

My  kindest  regards  to  Mrs.  Gaylord.  Many  thanks  to  her 
and  to  you  for  your  sympathy  with  me  at  Quincy. 

It  was  late  in  September  when  we  bade  adieu  to  eastern 
friends,  and  commenced  the  homeward  journey.      We  tar- 


268  LIFE  OP  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

ried  at  Oberlin  for  a  two  days'  visit,  and  reached  Plymouth, 
Illinois,  on  Saturday  afternoon,  stopping  there  to  spend  the 
Sabbath  with  friends.  On  Monday  morning  we  took  the 
train  for  Quincy,  which  then  made  regular  connections  at 
that  place  with  the  one  daily  passenger  train  on  the  Hanni- 
bal and  St.  Joe  railroad  for  the  city  of  St.  Joseph.  We  were 
anxious  to  make  these  connections,  expecting  that  a  steam- 
boat, which  would  take  us  home  to  Omaha,  would  wait  at 
St.  Joseph  for  the  railroad  passengers.  It  was  a  dark  and 
rainy  forenoon,  and  we  were  impatient  with  our  slow  pro- 
gress. When  we  at  last  arrived  at  Quincy,  it  was  to  find 
that  the  other  train,  unwilling  to  wait  longer,  was  well  on 
its  wray.  What  could  be  done  ?  We  had  our  through  ticket, 
but  not  money  sufficient  to  go  to  a  hotel.  After  walking  up 
and  down  the  long  waiting  room  at  the  depot  until  weary, 
Mr.  Gaylord  decided,  as  a  forlorn  hope,  to  go  into  a  bank 
and  ask  for  money.  He  told  his  story  in  few  words  and 
requested  the  loan  of  ten  dollars.  He  was  an  entire  stranger, 
but  wholly  at  variance  with  their  usual  practice,  they  put  the 
money  into  his  hands.  During  the  night  we  were  conscious 
of  some  excitement  about  the  hotel,  and  the  morning 
revealed  the  cause.  The  train,  missed  with  so  much  sorrow, 
was  waylaid  in  crossing  Missouri  by  a  party  of  bushwhack- 
ers. The  one  from  the  west  was  served  in  the  same  man- 
ner, and  freight  trains  coming  up  shared  a  similar  fate.  All 
were  robbed  of  whatever  was  valuable  that  could  be  carried 
away.  Quantities  of  merchandise  which  could  not  be  taken 
were  tumbled  on  the  ground  to  be  broken  up  and  destroyed 
as  far  as  possible.  Then  a  number  of  cars  just  sufficient  to 
hold  all  the  passengers,  were  placed  by  themselves  and  the 
rest  set  on  fire.  Into  these  saved  cars  were  packed  all  the 
passengers  from  every  direction,  with  nothing  left  but  the 
clothes  they  were  wearing,  and  started  off  for  Quincy.  It 
was  some  of  those  frightened  and  weary  travelers  coming 
into  the  hotel  that  night,  that  caused  the  commotion.  Very 
thankful  for  the  disappointment,  which  at  first  was  so  try- 


EXPERIENCE    WITH    BUSHWHACKERS.  269 

ing,  we  took  the  next  day's  train,  soldiers  being  sent  out 
with  it  as  far  as  was  deemed  necessary.  When  the  scene  of 
of  the  guerrillas'  work  was  passed,  the  smoking  ruins,  the 
scattered  and  mutilated  freight,  made  us  still  more  grateful 
for  that  kind  Providential  care  which  withheld  us  from 
such  a  catastrophe.  But  as  the  train  moved  on,  it  came  to 
a  long  ascending  grade,  and  the  one  engine  could  only  take 
a  part  of  the  cars.  One  half  was  left,  and  a  thick  forest 
was  near,  which  might  afford  a  rendezvous  for  bushwhackers. 
It  was  night  and  the  darkness  intense.  Women  were  crying 
with  fear,  and  children  from  weariness  and  hunger.  There 
were  more  passengers  than  seats,  and  we  stood  much  of  the 
time  that  others  more  needy  might  occupy  our  places.  Mr. 
Gaylord  tried  to  quiet  and  comfort  the  passengers,  and  see- 
ing that  we  were  calm,  many  gathered  around  us,  thus 
affording  an  opportunity  to  point  them  to  the  kind  Pro- 
tector. But  at  last  the  engine  returned,  and  we  finally 
reached  St.  Joseph  in  safety.  But  the  boat,  the  last  one  of 
the  season  to  ascend  the  Missouri,  had  gone,  and  in  a 
crowded  stage  coach,  over  roads  rendered  nearly  impassable 
by  recent  rains,  we  accomplished  the  remaining  150  miles 
of  our  journey. 

We  reached  home  on  the  10th  day  of  October,  much  im- 
proved in  health,  and  strengthened  to  enter  upon  the  work  to 
which  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  American  Home  Mission- 
ary Society  had  seen  fit  to  appoint  me.  The  field  assigned  to 
me  is  new,  and  yet  one  of  immediate  prospective  importance. 
The  valtey  of  the  Missouri,  stretching  through  it  from  north  to 
south,  and  the  valley  of  the  Platte,  from  its  western  border  to 
the  Missouri  river,  both  afford  rare  attractions  for  settlers. 

Mr.  Gaylord  continued  to  minister  to  the  church  at 
Omaha  till  the  middle  of  November,  when  he  handed  over 
his  charge  to  Rev.  A.  D.  Stowell.  After  preaching  a  few 
months,  Mr.  Stowell  returned  east,  and  was  succeeded  in  the 
pastorate  by  Rev.  W.  W.  Rose,  who  remained  two  years. 


270  LIFE   OF   REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

After  a  short  interval  Rev.  E.  S.  Palmer  was  invited  to 
assume  the  pastoral  care  of  the  church,  which  he  did,  serv- 
ing for  two  years.  Then  followed  another  interim,  but  a 
few  months  later  Rev.  A.  F.  Sherrill  was  engaged  to  fill  the 
pulpit.  He  was  soon  after  ordained,  and  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  year  1870,  was  installed  pastor  of  the  church.  He 
resigned  his  pastorate  in  1888,  having  ministered  to  the 
church  over  eighteen  years. 

Mr.  Gaylord's  first  work  as  Home  Missionary  Superin- 
tendent was  to  organize  a  church  at  Salt  Creek,  now  Green- 
wood. He  went  there  by  special  invitation  on  the  Sabbath 
before  Thanksgiving.     Writing  of  this  occasion  he  says : 

I  there  met  Messrs.  Lewis  and  Piatt,  and  delegates  from 
Nebraska  City  and  Weeping  Water  cliurclies.  We  organized 
as  a  council,  and  on  Sabbath  formed  a  Congregational  church 
of  six  members.  There  would  have  been  five  or  six  more  if 
the  weather  had  been  pleasant.  I  had  a  very  uncomfortable 
ride  on  Monday,  and  arrived  at  the  river  only  to  find  my  way 
blocked  up.  The  ferry  boat  on  the  Platte  had  sunk,  so  that 
there  was  no  crossing.  The  boat  on  the  Missouri  at  Plattsmouth 
was  aground,  in  consequence  of  the  falling  of  the  river  caused 
by  a  gorge  of  ice  above.  I  was  detained  there  three  days,  and 
did  not  succeed  in  getting  over  till  Thursday  noon,  and  then 
with  great  difficulty.  I  was  now  in  Iowa,  and  passed  up  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Missouri  to  a  point  opposite  Omaha,  only  to 
find  no  way  of  crossing  the  river  that  night  on  account  of 
running  ice.  I  left  my  horse  and  buggy,  and  the  next  morning 
rode  on  a  wood  wagon  four  miles  up  the  river,  crossed  in  a 
skiff,  in  an  open  place,  and  walked  five  miles  to  my  home, which 
I  reached  on  Friday  about  noon.  On  Thursday  I  ate  my 
Thanksgiving  dinner  of  dry  crullers  while  riding  in  my  bugg}r, 
yet  truly  thankful  that  I  was  making  some  progress  homeward. 

Mr.  Gay  lord  lost  no  time  in  visiting  the  Iowa  portion 
of  his  district,  driving  over  it  with  a  span  of  Indian  ponies. 
Wherever  he  stopped  for  the  night,  if  there  were  only  a 


REVIVAL   AT   GLENWOOD.  271 

few  people  within  reach,  he  would  have  them  called 
tegether  and  hold  a  meeting.  On  the  seat  of  his  buggy  lay 
tracts  and  pamphlets  to  be  distributed  by  the  way.  The 
following  letters  to  his  wife  give  an  account  of  revival  work 
in  Glen  wood  early  in  the  year  1865 : 

Glenwood,  Iowa,  January  13,  1865. — I  arrived  last  even- 
ing; found  Bro.  Todd  here  and  heard  him  preach.  Mr.  House, 
the  pastor,  is  so  broken  down  in  health  that  he  was  not  able  to 
preach  on  Sabbath .  The  •meetings  commenced  on  Tuesday 
evening,  and  have  been  well  attended  since.  The  interest 
seems  general,  and  there  is  promise  of  great  good.  We  have 
been  conferring  together  this  morning,  with  earnest  prayer, 
that  God  would  guide  to  the  right  way  to  obtain  the  needed 
blessing.  There  are  some  difficulties,  but  if  these  should  be 
overcome,  we  may  hope  for  a  glorious  harvest.  Father  Williams 
was  up  yesterday,  and  learning  that  I  was  to  be  here,  was 
anxious  that  one  of  us  should  go  and  help  him.  *        * 

Let  me  have  your  earnest  prayers  for  the  Divine  blessing  and 
guidance.  The  circumstances  are  such  as  to  require  large 
measures  of  wisdom. 

Glenwood,  January  14. — Yesterday  was  the  most  pre- 
cious day  we  have  had  since  the  meeting  commenced,  and  I 
feel  like  writing  you  again  this  morning.  The  afternoon  meet- 
ing was  deeply  interesting.  Father  Williams  was  up  and  told 
us  what  was  being  done  in  Pacific.  There  was  great  freedom  in 
speaking  and  a  lovely  spirit  manifested.  One  interesting  young 
married  woman  was  present,  who  had  been  unable  to  attend 
until  Tuesday  evening.  She  told  us  with  deep  feeling  that  she 
had  that  day  found  Christ  as  her  Savior.  After  preaching  in 
the  evening,  I  dismissed  the  meeting,  and  invited  all  who 
chose,  to  stay  for  a  season  of  prayer.  A  large  proportion 
remained.  I  then  asked  those  desiring  prayers  to  rise  and  there 
were  seven,  most  of  them  new  cases.  I  conversed  with  one  of 
them  two  days  ago  and  found  him  intelligent,  but  self-righteous. 
He  arose  with  the  others  and  spoke;  afterwards  he  came  to  me 
and  said  he  was  resolved  to  seek  Christ  until  He  was  found. 


272  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

Then  one  of  the  members  of  the  church,  with  much  feeling, 
confessed  his  unfaithfulness,  and  begged  forgiveness.  All 
present  were  deeply  moved.  The  work  is  silent  but  I  think  is 
spreading.     I  feel  calm  and  happy,  but  wish  you  were  here. 

Glenwood,  January  16. — The  Sabbath  is  past  and  Monday 
opens  brightly.  I  preached  yesterday  from  "Grieve  not  the 
Spirit."  I  then  told  the  congregation  that  in  the  evening  they 
would  have  an  opportunity  for  action,  and  asked  them  to  weigh 
the  matter  well  and  decide  whether  they  would  now  give  their 
minds  to  the  great  subject  of  religion.  The  Sabbath-school  is 
large  and  interesting — one  hundred  and  sixty  in  attendance. 
At  four  p.  m.  we  had  a  meeting  of  the  church.  All  were  invited 
to  speak  and  there  was  much  freedom.  We  had  evidence  that 
God  was  at  work  in  their  hearts.  They  spoke  well,  penitently 
and  hopefully.  The  feeling  was  unanimous  that  the  meetings 
must  continue.  My  text  at  night  was,  "Choose  ye  this  day 
whom  ye  will  serve,"  and  while  the  hymn,  "Come  trembling 
sinner,"  etc.,  was  being  sung,  I  invited  those  who  had  chosen 
Christ  since  this  interest  commenced,  and  those  who  were  now 
seeking  Him  to  rise.  I  did  not  count,  but  there  were  between 
twenty  and  thirty. 

Bro.  House  is  very  ill  with  a  bad  cough;  had  a  chill  last 
evening  and  fever  all  night.  I  fear  his  work  is  almost  done. 
I  long  to  see  the  interest  deepen  and  spread.  One  man  said 
yesterday  that  he  had  taken  more  solid  comfort  that  day  than 
ever  before  in  all  his  life.  There  is  need  of  much  personal 
effort,  and  Bro.  House  is  wholly  unable  to  do  air^  of  it. 

I  am  writing  at  Dr.  B.'s.  He  is  greatly  revived.  Give  my 
love  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  G.,  and  tell  them  I  desire  they  may  give 
themselves  wholly  to  Christ.  The  same  message  to  James  Mc  C. 
May  the  Lord  bless  and  keep  you . 

Glen  wood,  January  18. — I  was  trying  to  settle  the  question 
this  morning  as  to  whether  I  should  go  home  to-morrow  or  not. 
I  could  not  see  the  way  clear  to  go,  and  yet  did  not  know  but 
I  ought  to.  I  feel  that  your  letter  is  the  answer  to  my  prayer, 
"What  wilt  thou  have  me  do?" 

I  called  upon  three  families  this  morning  where  there  are 


LABORS    AT    FREMONT.  273 

professing-  Christians,  and  found  evidence  of  the  reviving  power 
of  God's  Spirit.  I  then  went  out  of  town  a  little  to  see  a  young- 
married  lady  who  rose  for  prayers  Sabbath  night,  and  found 
her  and  her  sister,  who  is  the  mother  of  three  children,  in  a 
deeply  interesting  state  of  mind,  and  I  hope,  on  the  point  of 
submission  to  God.  Called  also  on  a  lawyer,  whom  I  urged  to 
obtain  the  assistance  of  the  great  Advocate,  and  afterwards  had 
a  conversation  with  a  young  man  in  Judge  B.'s  store,  who  has 
been  skeptical,  but  feels  now  a  determination  to  be  the  Lord's. 
I  then  went  to  the  office,  received,  and  read  your  letter. 

Monday  evening  at  the  close  of  the  sermon,  I  dismissed  the 
congregation  asking  all  to  stay  who  wished  to  pray  or  be  prayed 
for.  Four-fifths  present  remained.  I  then  requested  any  that 
felt  a  desire  for  special  prayer  to  manifest  it  b}'  rising.  Four 
new  cases  were  presented,  all  heads  of  families,  and  we  had  a 
precious  season  of  prayer  together. 

Fremont,  Nebraska,  February  14,  1865. — My  Dear  Wife: 
I  reached  here  Saturday  evening  about  eight  o'clock.  As  to  the 
prospect  of  doing  much  I  cannot  speak  with  confidence.  All 
the  male  members  of  the  church  besides  Bro.  Heaton  are  absent 
except  one.  Mr.  Hawthorne  and  Deacon  Pierce  are  in  Fort 
Kearney.  I  preached  Sabbath  and  last  night.  To-day  we  have 
a  meeting  at  2  o'clock  and  preaching  to-night.  Mr.  Heaton 
has  received  two  letters  from  Mr.  Jones.  His  son  A.  is  alive, 
and  hopes  are  entertained  of  his  recoveiy.  The  accident 
occurred  in  this  way:  As  he  was  traveling,  he  saw  a  prairie 
chicken  and  reached  back  to  get  his  gun.  In  pulling  it  with  the 
muzzle  toward  him,  the  lock  caught,  and  springing  back,  dis- 
charged the  contents  into  his  breast. 

Fremont,  February  16. — It  has  been  veiy  unfavorable  for 
our  meeting  as  it  seems  to  us,  yet  we  have  met  the  church  from 
day  to  da^',  and  hope  the}-  are  being  profited.  I  feel  that  I 
had  better  stay  over  the  Sabbath,  unless  Providence  orders 
otherwise.  The  number  of  professing  Christians  here  is  very 
small.  The  young  people  are  given  to  pleasure,  like  ours  in 
Omaha.  There  is  to  be  a  dance  to-night  to  follow  up  the  wed- 
dings of  last  night.     We  shall  pray  for  them,  and  I  hope  God 

19 


274  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

will  reach  them  by  His  Spirit  in  answer  to  prayer.  Think  I  am 
willing  to  leave  the  result  with  Him.  We  are  going  two  miles 
and  a  half  west  this  morning  to  call  on  Mr.  Hazen's  family.  He 
and  his  wife  have  been  Congregational  professors. 

Fremoxt,  February  17. — Our  meetings  seem  solemn  and  the 
people  interested,  but  I  fear  little  or  no  impression  is  made  upon 
the  world.  Christians  are  being  aroused,  but  they  are  few  in 
number.  How  foolish  the  frivolities  of  life  seem  to  me!  When 
will  men  learn  to  care  for  the  soul  ? 

Albiox,  Nebraska,  May  13,  1865. — My  Dear  Wife:  Mrs. 
Bartholomew,  at  whose  bouse  I  am  stopping  on  my  wa}'  to 
Columbus,  is  one  of  the  two  ladies  we  saw  at  Fontanelle  when 
Mr.  H.  was  ordained.  Her  sister,  Mrs.  Hughes,  then  Mrs. 
Annis,  is  now  here  sick,  it  is  feared  with  consumption.  She  is 
one  of  the  Lord's  chosen  ones.  I  have  had  a  pleasant  night 
and  hope  my  visit  will  be  a  comfort  and  a  blessing.  "I  am  so 
glad  to  see  you !  ' '  was  the  exclamation  of  both  Mrs .  B .  and  her 
son.     I  expect  to  reach  Columbus  this  evening. 

This  year  Mr.  Gaylord  was  sent  as  delegate  to  the 
National  Council  which  was  to  meet  at  Boston  in  June. 
He  improved  this  opportunity  to  again  solicit  funds 
for  the  college  at  Fontanelle,  which  was  in  great  need  of 
help.  The  following  letters  were  written  to  his  wife  during 
this  absence: 

St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  June  1,  1865. — My  Dear  Wife:  I 
arrived  here  at  eight  o'clock  this  morning;  went  into  the  rail- 
road depot  and  found  Mr.  Henshaw.  He  took  me  home  with 
him  and  there  I  found  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Shedd  as  boarders. 
Mary  was  greatly  pleased  to  see  me.  I  went  to  meeting  this 
morning  and  heard  a  very  good  sermon  on  the  first  two  verses 
of  the  fifteenth  chapter  of  Romans.  I  was  glad  to  hear  such  a 
sermon  in  St.  Joe.  It  was  clear,  argumentative,  just.  We 
reached  Nebraska  City  a  little  after  eight  a.  m.,  and  while  they 
were  putting  off  the  freight  they  took  on  at  Omaha,  I  went  up 
to  Mr.  Buck's,  and  he  came  down  and  stayed  with  me  until  we 


JOURNEYING     EASTWARD.  275 

were  ready  to  leave.  I  found  some  very  pleasant  company  on 
the  boat.  There  was  one  intelligent  and  agreeable  gentleman 
from  Sioux  City,  whose  name  is  Hubbard.  He  knows  Mr. 
Millard  and  Captains  Marsh  and  Rustin.  Another  man  is  a 
government  agent  and  belongs  to  the  regular  army,  has  been 
in  the  war,  and  was  a  prisoner  seven  months.  He  lives  in  St. 
Louis,  is  a  native  born  Virginian,  intensely  loyal,  appears 
thoroughly  upright  and  religiously  disposed.  It  seems  pleasant 
to  stop  a  little  and  have  a  room  where  I  can  be  alone  with  God, 
and  commend  myself  and  family  and  all  the  interests  that  are 
near  my  heart  to  our  Common  Parent.  Kindest  regards  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gr.  and  J. 

Oberlin,  Ohio,  June  5,  1865. — I  reached  this  place  at  7:22 
Saturday  and  found  Mr.  Miner's  folks  awaiting  my  coming;  a 
dish  of  luscious  strawberries  and  cream  was  on  the  table.  Yes- 
terday I  spent  a  delightful  Sabbath.  Went  to  the  Sabbath 
school  in  the  morning,  and  found  Mr.  Fitch,  the  superintendent, 
overwhelmed  with  affliction.  One  week  ago  last  Saturday 
afternoon,  his  son  in  company  with  other  young  men  went  to 
some  river  to  bathe.  The  son  was  brought  back  a  corpse, 
drowned,  as  they  suppose,  by  being  taken  with  cramp.  It 
made  a  very  deep  and  solemn  impression  upon  the  whole  com- 
munity. I  heard  Mr.  Finney  in  the  morning  from  the  words, 
"If  any  man  be  in  Christ  he  is  a  new  creature,"  etc.  I  took 
full  notes.  At  eight  this  morning  I  go  on  my  wa}^  to  the  great 
city  of  the  land. 

New  York,  June  8,  1865.  —  I  have  been  most  cordially 
received  at  the  Home  Missionary  rooms.  Have  met  the  new 
Secretary  and  am  much  pleased  with  him.  I  saw  Mr.  Holmes 
yesterday,  also  Mr.  Woolworth,  Mr.  Baldwin,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gibson  and  others,  and  called  on  my  classmate,  Prof.  Thomp- 
son. A  vast  assembly  gathered  at  Cooper  Institute  last  night 
to  meet  Gens.  Grant  and  Logan,  who  were  to  be  present.  I 
felt  disposed  to  go  and  see  the  great  men  and  also  a  big  meeting 
in  New  York.  Long  before  the  doors  were  opened  there  was 
an  immense  crowd  around  either  entrance,  and  when  they  were 
opened  the  press  was  such  as  I  never  felt  before.     It  was  like  a 


276  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

mighty  torrent  seeking  to  force  its  way  through  a  space  not  one- 
fourth  large  enough  to  allow  free  passage.  But  we  were  borne 
in  without  being  crushed,  ladies  and  gentlemen  alike.  The 
immense  hall  was  filled  at  once,  and  thousands  upon  thousands 
outside.  It  was  impossible  for  two  hours  to  restore  order,  and 
it  seemed  like  bedlam  let  loose.  "Grant!  Grant!"  was  the  cry, 
with  hurrahs,  cheers  and  attempts  at  speeches  which  could  not 
be  heard.  I  think  it  was  9  o'clock  before  Gen.  Grant  made  his 
appearance.  Then  ensued  such  a  scene  as  you  cannot  imagine. 
He  came  forward  to  the  front  of  the  stage,  and  the  vast  assem- 
bly rose,  swung  their  hats  and  handkerchiefs  and  cheered  and 
shouted  for  ten  minutes.  He  stayed  a  short  time  and  then 
retired,  after  which  the  audience  calmed  down  and  listened  to 
an  excellent  speech  from  Gen.  Logan.  Grant  is  square  built, 
has  a  large  head  and  fine  bearing.  He  seemed  by  his  appearance 
to  wonder  what  all  this  parade  was  for. 

Newington,  June  13. — I  spent  a  very  pleasant  Sabbath  in 
New  York.  Went  to  the  South  church  in  Brooklyn  in  the 
morning,  and  in  the  afternoon  met  the  smiling  faces  of  my  co- 
operative Sunday  school.  They  suspended  the  regular  exercises 
to  hear  me,  and  for  half  an  hour  gave  me  the  most  fixed  atten- 
tion. As  I  passed  out  one  man  seized  my  hand  and  said,  if  I 
would  give  him  my  address  he  could  send  me  a  library.  Another 
came  down  into  Bro.  Taylor's  study,  and  said  he  thought  he 
could  send  me  a  minister.  I  left  New  York  at  eight  a.  m. 
yesterday,  and  had  the  company  of  Dea.  Holmes  of  Dr.  Thomp- 
son's church,  as  far  as  New  Haven.  There  I  had  an  interview 
with  Mr.  Chase,  and  was  much  pleased  with  him.  He  thinks 
he  will  be  with  us  in  our  work  in  August.  I  dined  with  my 
good  friend  and  classmate,  Kingsley,  and  had  a  pleasant  time. 
At  fifteen  minutes  past  three,  I  again  took  my  seat  in  the  cars 
and  was  borne  rapidly  on  to  Newington 's  pleasant  vales.  I 
found  Mr.  Deming's  family  all  well  and  a  right  hearty  welcome 
they  gave  me.  I  almost  forgot  to  tell  you  that  1  addressed  Dr. 
Budington's  people  on  the  afternoon  of  Sabbath,  and  that  they 
gathered  around  me  with  interest.  I  go  this  morning  to  Hart- 
ford, and  at  12:30  take  the  cars  for  Boston.     Am  looking  for 


NATIONAL    COUNCIL    AT    BOSTON.  277 

one  of  the  greatest  and  best  meetings  I  ever  attended.  As  the 
time  draws  near  the  interest  deepens.  The  general  expectation 
is,  that  it  will  hold  from  ten  to  twelve  days. 

Boston,  June  17. — We  have  great  meetings — quite  too  large 
in  numbers,  I  fear,  to  do  business  promptly  and  well.  An 
immense  amount  of  it  is  coming  before  us.  It  is  now  the  fourth 
day  of  the  session,  and  we  are  not  nearly  through  reading  the 
papers  presented  by  the  committees  appointed  last  fall.  It  took 
Dr.  Bacon  two  solid  hours  to  read  his  report  on  Church  Polity. 
It  was  excellent  in  the  main.  The  Council  has  voted  to  go  in 
a  body  on  Thursday  next  to  Plymouth  Rock.  I  am  glad  to  go 
to  this  historic  spot,  but  sorry  to  take  a  day  from  the  labors  of 
the  Council.  We  spend  one-half  hour  each  day,  from  11  to 
11:30,  in  devotional  exercises,  which  is  a  happy  arrangement. 
If  the  meeting  issues  well,  it  will  be  productive  of  immense 
results  upon  our  great  country.  I  am  not  without  solicitude 
upon  this  point. 

This  is  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  We 
had  a  special  service  in  the  First  church  in  Charlestown,  close 
to  the  monument.  That  church  was  burned  by  the  British  at 
the  time  of  the  battle.  After  the  meeting  we  went  in  procession 
led  by  the  president  of  the  Bunker  Hill  Monument  Association, 
to  the  square.  It  was  an  interesting  fact  that  the  representa- 
tives of  the  Puritans  should  be  gathered  on  that  sacred  spot  on 
the  ninetieth  anniversary  of  that  battle,  on  the  same  day  of 
the  week,  and  the  same  hour  of  the  day  when  that  battle  was 
fought.  The  great  occasion  and  the  great  subjects  make  me 
somewhat  nervous.  I  have  met  Bros.  Salter,  Robbins,  Gates, 
Harve3r  Adams,  Cooper,  Turner  and  a  host  of  other  old  friends. 

Some  months  before  the  meeting  of  the  Congregational 
Council  in  Boston,  in  June,  1865,  Judge  Warren  Currier,  of 
St.  Louis,  chairman  of  a  committee  on  southern  and  west- 
ern evangelization,  sent  a  request  to  Mr.  Gaylord  that  he 
collect  facts  as  to  the  great  needs  of  the  vast  area  of  terri- 
tory lying  north  of  the  southern  boundary  of  Kansas  and 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  to  be  made  use  of  at  this  meeting. 


278  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

Mr.  Gaylord's  reply  embodies  much  that  is  useful  and 
interesting,  but  we  give  only  one  or  two  of  the  closing  para- 
graphs. What  he  writes  of  the  imperative  necessity  for 
more  men  to  preach  the  gospel  has  at  least  as  much  force 
now  as  in  1865.     He  says : 

As  the  countiy's  peril  in  1861  awoke  the  slumbering 
patriotism  of  the  entire  loyal  heart,  and  led  to  deeds  and  sacri- 
fice that  challenged  the  admiration  of  the  world,  so  God  can 
and  may  press  the  moral  and  religious  claims  of  this  extensive 
region  in  a  waj*-  to  lead  men  in  great  numbers  to  leave  other 
employments,  and  give  themselves  to  the  ministry  of  the  word. 
The  church  must  bring  out  her  resources  and  marshal  them  for 
the  work  now  calling  upon  her.  As  exigencies  have  made  gen- 
erals, so  moral  exigencies  must  make  ministers  if  these  wide 
fields  are  to  be  supplied. 

To  no  use  aside  from  preaching  the  gospel,  can  the  wealth 
of  the  Christian  and  the  philanthrophistbe  more  wisely  applied, 
than  in  establishing  institutions  of  learning  to  train  men  for 
the  ministry,  and  for  the  highest  spheres  of  usefulness  in 
professional  life. 

One  of  the  results  of  the  National  Council  was  an  appeal 
by  Dr.  Langworth}T,  Secretary  of  the  American  Congrega- 
tional Union,  of  which  the  following  are  extracts: 

The  late  National  Council,  by  recommendation  of  a  very 
large  committee,  unanimously,  and  with  prayer,  adopted  the 
following  resolution: 

"That  the  Council  recommend  to  the  American  Congrega- 
tional Union,  without  arresting  or  delaying  the  special  efforts 
now  in  progress,  or  ready  to  be  put  forth  in  behalf  of  the 
churches  needing  aid  for  the  erection  of  houses  of  worship,  to 
call  for  a  simultaneous  collection,  December  17,  the  Sabbath 
preceding  Forefather's  Day,  when  every  Congregational  church, 
large  or  small,  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  shall  contribute 
what  it  can  toward  the  $200,000  for  church  building.  Let  the 
good  work  be  finished  in  a  day,  and  give  the  proper  punctua- 
tion to  this  meeting." 


WORK    RESUMED.  279 

Patriotism  demands  this  work  at  the  hands  of  our  Congre- 
gational churches.  The  west  is  indissolubly  bound  to  the  east, 
as  has  been  seen  in  our  late  war,  by  the  similarity  of  their 
religious  and  educational  institutions,  planted  in  the  former  by 
the  gifts  of  the  latter.  Such  institutions  in  the  south  are  indis- 
pensable if  we  are  ever  to  become  a  homogeneous  people. 

It  will  be  a  scene  upon  which  angels  will  love  to  look,  to 
see  on  the  Sabbath  named,  three  thousand  pulpits  setting  forth 
the  great  principles  and  the  polity  the  pilgrims  established  upon 
Plymouth  Rock  in  1620;  and  to  see  twice  three  hundred 
thousand  people  pouring  out  their  willing  offerings  to  build 
monuments,  in  the  form  of  sanctuaries,  to  the  memory  of  those 
devoted  heroes,  and  for  the  benefit  of  those  for  whom  none  are 
now  provided! 

Before  coming  home  he  went  to  Norfolk  for  a  visit  to  his 
mother,  who  was  overjoyed  to  see  him,  although  only  one 
year  had  passed  since  his  last  visit.  His  farewell,  as  he  left 
her  at  this  time,  proved  to  be  a  final  one,  for  he  never  saw 
her  again. 

After  Mr.  Gaylord's  return  he  took  up  again  his  work 
among  the  churches.  All  the  record  that  is  found  for  the 
rest  of  the  year  is  contained  in  two  letters  to  his  wife : 

Sioux  City,  Iowa,  November  22,  1865. — My  Dear  Wife: 
I  went  on  from  Silver  Creek  to  Decatur  and  called  on  Mrs. 
Decatur.  She  is  living  with  her  son-in-law,  Mr.  D.  having 
been  in  Colorado  three  years.  I  tarried  in  Decatur  several  hours 
and  gained  what  information  I  could,  then  drove  up  to  the 
Mission  and  called  on  Mr.  Furnas  at  the  agency.  Went  home 
with  Mr.  Lee  and  Mr.  Bent,  spent  the  evening  in  the  mission 
house  and  had  a  veiy  pleasant  time.  Tuesday  morning  I  went 
on  my  way  across  the  reservation — fourteen  miles  without  a 
house.  I  rode  over  hills  and  through  valleys,  till  I  descended 
into  the  beautiful  vallej'  of  the  Omaha  creek,  which  flows 
into  the  Missouri  where  Omadi  once  stood.  That  village  at  one 
time  had  600  people,  but  the  Missouri  laid  claim  to  it,  and  one 
house  without  inhabitants  is  all    that  remains.     I  entered  the 


280  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

Missouri  valley  about  eight  miles  from  Dakota.  It  spreads  out 
to  the  width  of  eight  or  ten  miles,  and  the  most  of  it  is  fine 
land.  I  found  Mr.  Lemon  at  D.,  and  spent  several  hours  in 
looking  around.  Then  passed  on  to  this  place  six  miles,  cross- 
ing the  Missouri  just  about  sunset.  I  find  Sioux  City  much 
more  of  a  place  than  I  expected.  Am  to  preach  to-night,  and 
shall  leave  for  Onawa  to-morrow,  reaching  there  Friday,  if  God 
will.     Mrs.  Tingley  is  looking  very  well. 

Onawa,  Iowa,  November  25,  1865.  —  I  left  Sioux  City 
Thursday  morning  at  9  o'clock,  and  expected  to  spend  the  night 
ten  miles  from  here,  but  not  finding  the  family  at  home,  came 
on,  and  arrived  about  dusk.  Yesterday  I  went  out  on  an 
exploring  tour.  A  large  number  of  new  families  are  coming 
in,  and  I  am  told  that  next  spring  there  will  be  forty  within  a 
few  miles  of  each  other.  The  settlement  is  from  six  to  ten 
miles  from  Onawa.  About  three  hundred  people  have  come 
into  the  county  this  year .  There  is  a  fine  opening  here  for  a 
Congregational  minister,  and  lines  of  influence  far-reaching 
and  with  important  bearings,  need  to  be  laid  hold  of  and 
directed  aright.  I  sent  an  appointment  to  Little  Sioux  for 
Monday,  twenty  miles  from  this  down  the  river.  Tuesday  I  go 
to  Magnolia  and  Harrison,  where  Mrs.  Olmstead  lives.  I  feel 
that  this  is  a  most  important  exploration .  Hope  the  children 
are  kind  and  helpful  to  their  dear  mother.  I  have  enjoyed 
much  of  the  Savior's  presence  on  this  tour.  How  blessed  to 
spend  and  be  spent  for  Him.  Let  us  learn  to  do  all  for  Him, 
and  trust  all  to  Him. 

To  Rev.  Milton  Badger,  D.  D. : 

Omaha,  March,  1866.— Dear  Brother:  *  *  *  A 
portion  of  the  winter  has  been  veiy  unfavorable  for  traveling. 
In  one  instance  1  was  driven  back  by  a  violent  snow  storm, 
rendering  it  perilous  to  venture  upon  the  open  prairie.  I  have 
sought  to  strengthen  the  weak  points,  to  supply  as  far  as  possible 
destitute  churches,  and  by  correspondence  to  do  what  I  could 
to  forward  the  interests  of  the  general  work.  The  institution 
at  Fontanelle  has  occupied  some  of  my  time  and  attention.    Our 


ENCOURAGEMENTS.  281 

Seminary  building  was  destroyed  by  fire  on  the  evening  of  De- 
cember 6 .  I  spent  the  next  Sabbath  there  and  after  service  met 
the  citizens  to  see  what  measures  could  be  adopted  to  serve  the 
interests  represented  in  the  college.  They  show  a  spirit  of 
liberality  toward  the  object  which  is  very  hopeful.  I  have  since 
attended  two  meetings  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  the  decision 
is  to  rebuild  this  season  if  the  means  can  be  raised,  and  I  feel 
that  they  must  try,  for  this  enterprise  is  essential  if  we  would 
do  the  work  well,  that  is  laid  upon  us  as  ministers  and  churches. 
We  have  secured  the  services  of  a  young  man,  a  graduate  of 
Oberlin  in  1861.  He  possesses  rare  qualifications  as  a  teacher, 
great  simplicity  and  honesty  of  purpose,  an  unwavering  faith 
in  God  and  an  earnest  devotion  to  His  glory.  He  must  be  sus- 
tained and  the  institution  carried  forward.  This  part  of  our 
work  is  very  hopeful. 

In  Iowa  I  have  spent  one  Sabbath  at  Onawa.  That  church 
is  anxious  to  secure  a  minister  soon.  The  place  is  growing,  the 
county  filling  up  fast,  the  population  is  eastern,  Congregational, 
and  intelligent,  and  they  need  a  good,  earnest  man.  I 
have  spent  one  Sabbath  and  several  days  at  Civil  Bend  in  re- 
vival meetings.  There  was  much  interest  and  quite  a  number 
of  hopeful  conversions.  Have  just  returned  from  Lewis,  where 
I  went  to  spend  a  Sabbath,  and  remained  ten  days,  holding 
meetings  every  afternoon  and  evening.  I  preached  twelve 
times,  last  Sabbath  three  times,  and  traveled  twenty  miles. 
At  the  urgent  request  of  the  Grove  City  church,  after  morning 
service  at  Lewis,  I  rode  to  Grove  City,  ten  miles,  held  meeting 
at  three  p.  m.,  and  returned  to  Lewis  for  evening  service.  Our 
meetings  were  profitable,  greatly  quickening  the  church,  re- 
claiming backsliders,  and  bringing  some  unconverted  persons, 
as  I  trust,  to  Christ.  At  Lewis  they  have  finished  and  dedicated 
a  very  neat  and  commodious  house  of  worship.  They  are  with- 
out a  minister,  but  keep  up  meetings,  read  a  sermon,  hold 
prayer-meetings,  and  have  a  good  Sabbath  school.  The  last 
Sabbath  of  January  I  preached  about  eight  miles  from  Omaha, 
where  some  of  the  members  of  our  church  reside.  My  text 
was,  "What  shall  I  render  unto  the  Lord  for  all  His  benefits 


282  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

toward  me  ?"  and  at  the  close  asked  them  for  a  thank-offering  to 
the  Lord  in  the  form  of  a  contribution  to  the  Home  Missionary 
Society.  The  result  was  a  subscription  of  twenty-four  dollars. 
It  was  generous — liberal.  A  gentleman  at  Lewis  handed  me  ten 
dollars  for  the  society.  A  wave  of  divine  influence  seems  to 
be  passing  over  this  valley.  There  are  revivals  at  Tabor,  Civil 
Bend,  Lewis,  Council  Bluffs  and  Omaha,  and  I  feel  greatly 
encouraged.  One  church  on  the  Iowa  side  has  had  no  regular 
preaching  for  some  years  and  jret  it  is  in  a  promising  place  and 
a  growing  county,  and  in  the  midst  of  an  intelligent  people. 
Tabor  is  self-supporting,  and  has  had  no  missionaiy  aid  from 
the  first.  It  was  a  colony  from  Oberlin,  bringing  their  minister, 
Bev.  John  Todd,  with  them.  That  church  was  organized  in 
1852,  and  is  very  strong  and  efficient.  There  are  in  eleven 
counties,  eleven  churches.  Three  counties  have  one  each,  and 
four  have  two  each,  leaving  four  in  which  there  is  no  Congre- 
gational organization. 

To  Mr.  R.  Lovcjoy: 

Omaha,  March  2,  18G6. —  >Ye  have  passed  through  a  severely 
cold  winter — not  much  snow — and  it  has  been  a  good  season 
for  business.  Everybody  has  been  very  busy  in  Omaha,  and 
now  spring  opens  smilingly.  They  have  already  commenced 
building  operations.  Several  dwelling  houses  are  going  up  and 
contracts  are  let  for  some  large  business  houses.  There  is  more 
religious  interest  in  this  region  than  I  have  ever  seen.  I  hope 
you  are  enjojang  life  in  your  new  home.  Have  you  come  out 
openly  and  by  profession  on  the  Lord's  side?  I  do  hope  you 
will.     May  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  abundantly  rest  upon  you. 

Omaha,  June  2,  1866. — For  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  live 
in  sight  of  a  railroad.  A  train  of  forty  cars  passed  down  this 
evening  on  the  U.  P.  R.  R.  That  great  work  is  being  pushed 
forward  at  the  rate  of  a  mile  a  day.  The  cars  now  pass 
through  Columbus  and  across  the  Loup  Fork. 

To  his  wife: 

Fontanelle,  Iowa,  July  5,  1866. — A  line  this  morning 
before  sailing  out  on  the  vast  prairie.     I  left  Amity  about  10  a. 


VISITS    TO    IOWA    POINTS.  283 

M.  Monday,  and  spent  the  night  midway  between  Clarinda  and 
Quincy.  Found  roads  bad  from  much  rain.  I  reached  Quincy, 
Iowa,  about  10:30  a.  m.,  and  stayed  till  Wednesday  morning. 
Put  up  with  the  Mr.  Clark  who  wrote  me — a  brother  of  my 
class  mate,  James  A.  Clark.  I  had  a  pleasant  time  there,  and 
yesterday  morning  passed  forward  to  Nevin,  where  I  found 
them  assembled  for  the  Fourth.  I  helped  them  eat  their  dinner, 
made  a  short  speech,  conferred  with  Dea.  Chamberlain,  spent  an 
hour  with  Bro.  House,  and  at  4:30  started  for  this  place, 
which  I  reached  a  little  before  sunset.  I  am  stopping  with  Mr. 
Kilbourn,  a  good  Congregationalist  from  New  England,  and 
son-in-law  of  Mr.  Mather,  who  used  to  be  at  Red  Rock.  To- 
day I  purpose  going  across  to  Exira,  where  I  shall  spend  the 
night,  and  to-morrow  come  down  to  Grove  City  and  Lewis.  I 
am  more  than  ever  impressed  with  the  greatness  of  our  work. 

Omaha,  August  3. — I  arrived  here  from  Tabor  in  good  time. 
Had  a  very  hot  ride  and  a  regular  attack  of  dust.  This  has 
been  a  terrible  day  in  Omaha.  Hot,  dust  thick,  drouth  severe. 
Found  a  letter  here  from  Amity  with  twenty-five  dollars  for  a 
Sunday  school  library.  I  offered  them  forty  dollars  worth  of 
books  for  twenty-five  dollars,  and  they  were  glad  to  accept  it. 
I  have  put  it  up  and  shall  send  it  by  express.  Mr.  Rose  has 
selected  nearby  forty  dollars  worth  of  books  for  the  Omaha 
Sundaj'  school.     I  shall  give  them  one- third  off. 

During  this  summer  Mr.  Gaylord,  finding  that  his  work 
in  southwestern  Iowa  required  much  time  and  attention, 
took  his  family  to  Tabor,  where  they  remained  for  three 
months.  Here  they  found  themselves  again  near  their 
friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miner,  who  had  been  among  the 
charter  members  of  the  old  Danville  church,  and  whose 
home  in  Oberlin,  Ohio,  had  afforded  a  stopping  place  on 
eastern  journeys,  and  a  home  for  Ralph  in  his  first  years 
away  at  school.  These  months  of  renewed  intercourse  were 
very  pleasant  to  both  families.  Mrs.  Miner  was  at  this  time 
in  poor  health,  and  died  in  April  of  the  next  year,  after  a 
painful  and  lingering  illness.     It  was  a  trial  to  Mr.  and 


284  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

Mrs.  Gaylord,  that  the  Missouri  river  was  at  this  time  so 
high  as  to  render  it  impossible  to  attend  the  funeral  of  this 
dear  friend. 

On  the  5th  of  August,  1866,  Mr.  Gaylord  organized  the 
church  at  Irvington,  a  direct  outgrowth  of  the  church  in 
Omaha.  July  17,  1862,  his  daughter  Sarah  had  been 
married  to  S.  C.  Brewster,  a  lineal  descendant  of  "  Elder 
Brewster,"  and  removed  to  Irvington.  To  this  circumstance 
was  largely  due  the  organization  of  the  church  .and  the 
Sunday  school,  preaching  services  being  first  held  in  her 
house.     Mr.  Gaylord  thus  writes  of  the  organization : 

We  have  had  a  good  day.  I  preached,  after  which  I  organ- 
ized the  church  with  eleven  members,  baptized  two  infants 
and  administered  the  sacrament,  then  Bro.  Brown  talked 
to  the  Sabbath  school.  There  will  be  three  more  to 
unite  with  the  church,  who  were  not  present  to-da}^,  making 
fourteen  in  all.  I  find  Thomas  Delong  in  quite  an  interesting 
state  of  mind.  [Through  his  own  efforts  this  }roung  man  was 
educated  at  Fontanelle,  Tabor,  and  Oberlin.  A  part  of  the  time 
his  vacations  were  spent  in  Mr.  Brewster's  family  at  Irvington, 
and  while  tending  the  sheep  his  books  were  his  constant  com- 
panions, and  he  proved  himself  faithful,  alike  to  them,  and  to 
his  employer.  He  has  been  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  min- 
istiy  and  is  now  preaching  in  this  state.]  Had  a  good  time  at 
twilight  in  prayer  for  the  objects  you  suggested  and  for  you 
and  the  children.  Tell  Ralph  I  have  never  felt  so  strong  a 
desire  that  he  settle  his  mind  that  his  life  is  to  be  an  earnest  work 
for  God  as  now.     I  see  so  much  to  be  done  and  so  few  to  do  it. 

A  testimony  to  the  character  of  the  Irvington  church  is 
found  in  a  letter  of  Mr.  Gay  lord's  written  some  years  later: 

At  Irvington  is  a  choice  people,  made  up  mostly  of  emi- 
grants from  New  England  and  New  York ,  descendants  from  the 
old  puritan  stock.  They  show  their  moral  and  religious  train- 
ing by  active  efforts  to  propagate  the  institutions  of  the  gospel  y 
sustaining  a  weekly  prayer-meeting,  keeping  up  Sabbath  services 


SILVER   WEDDING.  285 

when  they  have  no  preaching,  and  maintaining-  four  Sabbath 
schools,  some  of  them  in  remote  neighborhoods. 

On  the  evening  of  November  8th,  in  the  autumn  of 
18G6,  a  large  number  of  Omaha  people  gathered  at  the 
home  on  Jackson  street  to  pay  their  respects  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gaylord  on  their  twenty-fifth  wedding  anni- 
versary. The  exhibition  of  kind  regard  by  the  citizens  at 
this  silver  wedding  left  a  halo  at  the  end  of  these  happy 
and  toilsome  years  which  has  grown  brighter  with  the  lapse 
of  time,  and  the  one  who  survives  greatly  prizes  the  gifts 
then  bestowed,  which  are  still  in  her  possession. 

Lewis,  Iowa,  November  21. — We  reached  here  last  evening 
a  little  before  sunset,  after  a  pleasant  ride  over  the  ocean  prairie. 
We  came  across  from  Magnolia  through  Shelby  county,  a  dis- 
tance of  seventy-five  miles.  I  left  Mr.  Morley  at  Magnolia 
and  went  over  to  the  Boyer.  Spent  the  night  at  Mr.  Kellogg's, 
and  in  the  morning  went  up  to  Rev.  Mr.  Laurie's,  calling  a 
moment  on  Mrs.  Olmstead.  I  preached  at  11  o'clock  and 
afterward  consulted  with  the  brethren.  They  seem  well 
pleased  with  Bro.  Laurie  and  do  not  wish  to  change.  I  returned 
to  Magnolia  and  had  the  pleasure  of  listening  to  a  good  sermon 
by  Bro .  Morley ,  preached  to  a  crowded  house .  I  could  scarcely 
keep  them  from  laying  hands  on  him,  and  they  did  not  want 
me  to  bring  him  here.  If  Bro.  Johnson  comes,  one  of  them 
will  come  to  Lewis,  the  other  to  Magnolia,  taking  in  Little 
Sioux  for  the  present.  The  region  over  which  we  traveled 
after  leaving  the  Boyer  river  is  very  little  settled.  Only  one 
house  in  twenty  miles  west  of  Horton,  the  county  seat  of 
Shelb}'  county,  and  one  stretch  of  twenty  miles  between  Horton 
and  Lewis.  It  is  inhabited  principally  by  gophers,  and  they 
are  plenty.  I  shall  go  to-morrow  to  Grove  City  and  next  day 
to  Exira.     May  the  good  Lord  keep  and  bless  you  all. 

Of  his  exploration  of  the  Boyer  valley  we  find  a  brief 
statistical  report  to  the  Society,  mentioning  the  names,  con- 


286  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

ditiort  and  needs  of  many  places.  If  his  labors  had  been 
abundant  before,  they  were  incessant  now.  During  the  six 
years  he  was  engaged  in  this  work  he  gave  it  his  personal, 
constant  supervision,  preaching  every  Sabbath  and  often 
during  the  week,  rarely  spending  more  time  at  home  than 
was  needful  for  his  correspondence,  it  being  his  practice  to 
occasionally  give  a  day  or  two,  as  necessity  required,  to 
answering  the  numerous  letters  that  always  accumulated  in 
his  absence. 

It  was  on  one  of  these  occasions,  after  writing  all  day, 
that  he  went  out  early  in  the  evening  to  carry  the  "  pile  " 
to  the  post-office.  As  he  was  turning  from  Eleventh  street 
into  Howard,  two  men  came  up  and  knocked  him  down  by 
a  severe  blow  on  the  forehead.  One  of  them  jumped  on 
him  and  commenced  pulling  open  his  overcoat,  while  the 
other  kept  watch,  and  just  at  that  instant  saw  a  man  com- 
ing up  Eleventh  street.  This  caused  them  to  flee  precipi- 
tately, and  Mr.  Gaylord,  finding  himself  able  to  get  up, 
walked  home,  and,  passing  in  through  the  alley  gate, 
entered  the  back  door  of  the  house.  Screams  from  the 
Irish  servant  brought  the  family  out  in  great  haste,  to  see 
him  standing  there  with  blood  running  down  his  face. 
With  perfect  composure  he  said,  "  Some  men  knocked  me 
down  out  here."  Then  putting  his  hand  to  his  breast 
■pocket,  he  continued,  "  But  they  did  not  get  my  money  or 
watch.  I  have  twelve  dollars,  which  is  a  large  sum  for  me 
to  carry."  A  physician  was  called  in,  who  closed  up  the 
wound  so  effectually  that  only  a  slight  scar  remained.  Mr. 
Grey,  a  gentleman  known  to  have  a  good  deal  of  money* 
was  at  this  time  boarding  in  the  family.  The  two  were 
nearly  alike  in  size,  and  as  Mr.  Grey  often  went  out  at  night, 
it  was  thought  Mr.  Gaylord  might  have  been  mistaken  for 
him. 

The  reports  of  the  Society  for  the  years  '66  to  '67  show 
that  it  was  only  holding  its  own  in  Nebraska  and  the 
counties  of  Western  Iowa,  committed  to  Mr.  Gaylord's  care, 


GENERAL    ASSOCIATION    AT    IOWA.  287 

while  the  field  was  ciying  out  for  "  more  men."  This  sub- 
ject, "Home  Evangelization,"  occupied  a  prominent  place 
on  the  program  of  a  convention  of  the  Congregational 
churches  of  Western  Iowa  and  Nebraska,  held  at  Council 
Bluffs  in  September,  1866.  The  following  are  extracts  from 
Mr.  Gay  lord's  report  of  this  meeting : 

Two  brethren  came  from  Amit}^  to  the  convention,  a  dis- 
tance of  seventy-five  miles,  and  when  I  was  compelled  to  tell 
them  I  had  no  certain  prospect  of  a  minister  for  them,  the 
expression  of  their  countenances  gave  me  great  pain.  A  lady 
came  from  Harrison,  in  the  Boyer  valley,  fifty  miles  by  coach, 
to  attend  the  meeting,  in  hope  of  obtaining  a  minister.  She 
came  because  none  of  the  brethren  could  come,  and  as  she 
realized  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  a  supply  for  these  destitute 
fields,  the  unbidden  tears  would  flow.  Mr.  Phelps,  who  is  at 
the  head  of  the  Council  Bluffs  <fe  St.  Joseph  Railroad,  is  a  liberal 
man .  He  offers  to  head  a  subscription  paper  with  one  hundred 
dollars,  for  the  support  of  Rev.  M .  F.  Piatt  for  six  months,  to 
labor  in  a  field  along  the  line  of  the  road  on  the  Missouri  bottom. 
He  also  offers  a  lot  in  Bartlett,  a  new  railroad  town,  and  five 
hundred  dollars  towards  building  a  church,  provided  one  thou- 
sand dollars  more  can  be  raised.     I  am  glad  of  such  a  helper. 

In  1867  he  wrote: 

I  have  just  enjoyed  the  privilege,  after  an  interval  of  twelve 
years,  of  meeting  with  the  General  Association  of  Iowa,  with 
which  I  was  so  long  and  pleasantly  connected,  of  revisiting 
the  place  where  I  commenced  my  labors  as  a  minister — then  in 
the  ardor  of  youth — and  of  preaching  once  more  to  that  church 
which  I  formed  June  30,  1839,  and  to  which  I  ministered  for 
more  than  sixteen  years.  The  Association,  which  held  its 
twenty-sixth  annual  meeting  at  Muscatine,  was  formed  Novem- 
ber, 1840,  with  three  ministers,  Rev.  Asa  Turner,  Rev.  J.  A. 
Reed  and  myself,  and  the  three  churches  of  Danville,  Denmark 
and  Fairfield.  The  ministers  are  still  in  active  service,  and 
were  all  present  at  the  meeting.  The  little  one,  if  it  has  not 
become  a  thousand,  has  greatly  increased,  and  occupying  as  it 


288  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLOED. 

does  a  region  fast  augmenting  in  population,  it  has  the  promise 
of  future  growth.  What  changes  in  these  twenty -six  and  a  half 
years!  Then  only  a  scattered  population  was  to  be  found  for  a 
short  distance  west  of  the  Mississippi  river,  while  all  beyond 
these  settlements  was  a  wilderness. 

Omaha,  Septemer  5,  1867. — In  making  my  third  quarterly 
report  as  agent  for  the  current  3Tear,  I  commence  with  June  1, 
at  which  time  I,  with  my  wife,  was  on  a  visit  to  my  former 
field  of  labor  in  Danville,  Iowra.  What  tender  memories  were 
revived  as  I  looked  into  the  faces  of  the  brethren  at  the  Associa- 
tion, and  afterwards  mingled  with  the  dear  people  whose  joys 
and  sorrows  we  shared  for  so  many  years!  A  few  were  gone, 
but  a  large  proportion  remained  to  welcome  us  to  their  homes 
and  their  hearts.  Some  of  these  we  had  once  led  into  covenant 
with  God,  as  they  cast  in  their  lot  with  His  people — had  united 
them  in  marriage,  baptized  their  children,  and  accompanied 
them  as  they  followed  loved  ones  to  the  silent  grave. 

But  our  sta}r  could  not  be  long,  for  an  appointment  was  out 
for  me  to  be  at  Oakfield  to  attend  the  organization  of  a  church 
on  the  21st  and  22nd  of  June,  and  we  hastened  home.  We  held 
a  preliminary  meeting  at  Oakfield  on  Saturday,  and  on  Sabbath 
I  preached  to  a  full  house,  and  led  eight  disciples  into  covenant. 
The  next  week  I  answered  a  call  from  Bartlett,  Iowa,  inviting 
me  to  sit  in  council  to  consult  as  to  organizing  a  Congrega- 
tional church  at  that  place.  Wc  had  an  interesting  examination 
on  Saturda}^,  and  on  Sabbath  thirteeen  persons  entered  into 
covenant,  and  I  sat  down  with  them  at  the  table  of  our  Lord. 
We  met  in  nature's  own  temple,  a  beautiful  walnut  grove  near 
the  village.  On  Friday  following  I  went  down  to  Nebraska 
City,  at  the  earnest  request  of  members  of  the  church  there,  to 
spend  the  Sabbath  and  hold  a  communion  season.  I  held  a 
preparatory  lecture,  and  on  Sabbath  preached  twice,  addressed 
two  Sabbath  schools,  and  administered  the  Lord's  supper. 

Among  the  labors  of  the  period  under  review,  I  have  con- 
ducted a  correspondence  for  the  trustees  of  the  Congregational 
church  and  society  of  this  city,  having  for  its  object  the 
obtaining  of  a  suitable  pastor  for  them.     It  has  been  a  delicate 


A    GERMAN    CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCH.  289 

and  difficult  task, as  I  have  had  to  answer  numerous  letters  from 
ministers  proposing  to  come  and  preach  as  candidates.  Of  these 
they  have  heard  three,  and  have  decided  upon  Rev.  E.  S. 
Palmer,  of  Waverly,  Iowa.  In  compliance  with  their  invita- 
tion, he  has  just  come  with  his  family  to  be  their  spiritual 
instructor.  If  he  proves  to  be  the  right  man,  I  shall  feel 
relieved  from  that  which  has  given  me  no  little  anxiety. 

On  the  26th  of  July  I  left  home  for  a  tour  of  exploration  in 
the  southern  portion  of  the  state,  a  work  I  had  been  obliged  to 
defer  on  account  of  high  water  and  bad  roads.  At  Nebraska 
•City  I  jdelded  to  the  solicitations  of  the  people  to  tarry  and 
preach  for  them.  After  meeting,  while  waiting  for  tea,  I  was 
attacked  with  paralysis  in  the  left  side.  It  was  similar  to  feelings 
I  had  previously  experienced  when  worn  down  with  labor,  lasting 
a  few  moments,  but  this  time  continuing.  Next  day  I  went  on 
twenty-five  miles  to  Brown ville.  Here  friends  advised  me  to 
return  home,  but  unwilling  to  give  up  my  proposed  trip,  I 
crossed  the  river  and  went  down  to  Rockport,  Missouri,  it  being 
a  part  of  my  program  to  visit  this  place.  Rev.  Mr.  Uhler,  a 
German  minister  who  united  with  the  Congregational  Association 
of  Nebraska  last  spring,  resides  here.  The  church  to  which  he 
ministers  also  desired  to  be  received  b}r  our  bod3',  and  I  visited 
them  by  special  request  to  satisfy  myself  as  to  their  evangelical 
character.  Having  discharged  this  duty,  I  left  with  Mr. 
Uhler  articles  of  faith,  covenant  and  all  that  was  necessary  for 
him  to  organize  his  church  after  the  Congregational  form,  and 
then,  too  ill  to  remain  longer,  turned  my  face  homewards. 
Rockport  is  the  county  seat  of  Atchison  county.  There  is  a 
good  Christian  element  among  the  Germans  there  and  a  wide  field 
of  usefulness  for  their  minister.  This  is  the  first  German  Con- 
gregational church  in  this  region,  but  I  think  there  will  soon  be 
one  or  two  others.  In  much  weariness  I  came  as  far  as  Ham- 
burg, in  the  southwest  corner  of  Iowa,  and  here  became  so  help- 
less that  word  was  sent  to  Mrs.  Gay  lord,  who  came  with  my  son 
sixty-five  miles  in  one  day.  My  son  was  obliged  to  return  with 
the  hired  carriage,  while  Mrs.  Gay  lord  and  I  came  on  slowly, 
she  driving  the  ponies  and  taking  care  of  me  all  the  way.     A 

20 


290  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

low,  nervous  fever  set  in,  but  good  medical  advice  and  tender 
care,  with  the  blessing  of  the  Great  Phj-sician,  gradually 
restored  me  to  health.  I  can  name  as  among  the  more  promi- 
nent results  of  the  labors  of  this  quarter,  three  ministers 
located  and  two  churches  organized,  while  from  my  sick  bed  I 
dictated  numerous  letters  and  gave  counsel  to  many  who  called 
upon  me.  During  my  illness  I  received  a  call  from  Rev.  Mr. 
Foster,  of  Chicopee,  Massachusetts.  He  saj-s  he  came  to  give 
himself  to  the  home  missionary  work,  and  wished  me  to  send 
him  where  I  thought  best.  I  have  preached  for  this  people 
several  times  during  the  quarter,  as  they  were  destitute  of  a 
minister,  and  also  spent  one  Sabbath  at  Plattford. 

In  a  few  weeks  Mr.  Gaylord  had  sufficiently  recovered 
from  this  first  stroke  of  paralysis  to  go  on  with  his  work  as 
usual. 

October  28. — We  held  our  meeting  of  trustees  last  week 
and  invited  Rev.  J.  B.  Chase  to  take  charge  of  the  institution 
at  Fontanelle  with  a  female  assistant.  When  we  had  passed 
over  about  half  the  distance  on  my  way  to  attend  this  meeting, 
we  stopped  to  rest  at  noon.  As  I  was  about  to  unhitch  the 
ponies,  they  broke  away  from  me  and  ran  with  Mrs.  Ga}dord  in 
the  carriage.  She  was  thrown  out  with  such  violence  that  her 
left  arm  was  broken  and  the  wrist  dislocated. 

To  his  niece: 

Omaha,  February  25,  1868. — Your  letter  is  before  me.  I 
had  previously  heard  of  the  peaceful  death  of  nry  dear  sainted 
mother.  Was  sorry  to  learn  that  so  many  of  the  elderly  people 
of  Norfolk  had  passed  away,  and  think  now  that  my  native 
town  would  seem  less  like  home  to  me  than  ever  before.  Mrs. 
Gaylord,  besides  her  broken  arm,  has  suffered  much  this  winter 
from  sciatic  neuralgia.  On  Christmas  Day  our  daughter  Sarah 
buried  her  youngest  child — a  heavy  affliction  to  her.  But  we 
have  many  mercies  mingled  in  our  cup  of  sorrow. 

To  his  wife: 

Nebraska  City,  April  25,  1868. — I  am  happy  to  address 
you  from  this   place  this  morning.     Thursday  I  came  on  and 


CHURCH  AT  CAMP  CREEK.  291 

stopped  at  Mr.  Hogoboom's  at  Larimer,  where  my  comfort  was 
well  provided  for  by  kind  friends.  Several  families  are  coming- 
in  here,  and  there  is  a  good  prospect  for  a  Congregational 
church  by  and  b}r.  Yesterday  I  crossed  the  Platte  river  partly 
by  boat  and  partly  by  fording.  The  water  came  up  to  my 
buggy  bed,  and  a  slight  rise  would  prevent  crossing.  The  road 
was  so  muddy  it  took  me  all  day  to  get  here.  It  was  too  late 
to  see  to  anything,  and  withal  I  was  too  tired.  Shall  go  on  to 
Camp  Creek  to-day,  and  defer  special  business  here  till  next 
Monday.  Do  not  feel  anxious  about  me,  but  look  for  me  when 
I  come. 

While  on  this  trip  he  organized  the  church  at  Camp 
Creek  with  twenty-eight  members.     He  says  of  it : 

One  thing  which  interested  me  much  was  the  coming  to- 
gether of  Presbyterians,  Baptists,  Congregationalists  and,  I 
think,  some  Methodists,  heartily  into  one  organization.  It 
showed  very  clearly  the  admirable  adaptation  of  our  church 
polity  to  the  circumstances  of  a  new  field  like  ours.  This  church 
is  the  legitimate  fruit  of  faithful,  persevering  Christian  labor 
in  the  Sabbath  school.  Early  in  the  settlement  of  Nebraska,  a 
gentleman  and  his  wife  came  out  from  one  of  the  Congregational 
churches  of  Connecticut  and  opened  a  farm  on  Camp  Creek. 
They  started  a  Sabbath  school,  which  has  been  sustained  most 
of  the  time  for  eleven  years.  During  the  past  winter  the  seed 
thus  sown  in  the  youthful  mind  has  been  warmed  into  life  by 
the  Spirit  of  God  accompanying  the  preaching  of  the  word,  and 
now  the  converts,  with  several  others  who  had  previously  been 
members  in  other  places,  have  been  gathered  into  a  church 
of  Christ. 

In  July  of  this  year,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  of  Omaha  issued  a 
circular,  from  which  the  following  are  extracts: 

At  the  recent  Christian  Convention  for  Western  Iowa  and 
Nebraska,  held  at  Council  Bluffs,  it  was  proposed  and  deeply 
urged  by  our  beloved  brother,  K.  A.  Burnell,  of  the  American 
Christian  Commission,  that  our  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion should  join  him,  and  a  delegation  visit  every  station  of  any 


292  LIFE    OP    REUBEN    GAYL0RD. 

comparative  importance  on  the  line  of  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road. As  an  association  we  rejoice  in  this  opportunity  of  doing 
what  to  us,  has  long  seemed  a  neglected  work,  and  especially  do 
we  rejoice  in  going  under  the  conduct  of  our  Bro.  Burnell,  who 
has  had  so  large  an  experience  in  this  greatly  needed  and  Christ- 
like work. 

As  an  association ,  we  feel  under  lasting  obligations  to  do  all 
we  can  to  incline  this  railway  toward  Calvary. 

In  a  twelvemonth  we  propose  to  join  the  San  Francisco 
Association  in  a  convention  at  Salt  Lake  City,  and  with  them 
make  arrangements  for  a  systematic  visitation  of  the  entire  line, 
with  at  least  the  employment  of  one  man  for  the  Atlantic  and 
another  for  the  Pacific  slope.  Our  delegation,  with  Bro.  Bur- 
nell, will  leave  Omaha  on  Monday,  July  20,  at  4:30  p.m. 

Mr.  Gaylord  was  invited  to  accompany  this  delegation, 
and  the  pleasure  he  experienced  in  being  permitted  to  pro- 
claim Gospel  truth  to  some  of  the  large  number  employed 
in  the  construction  of  the  road,  is  expressed  in  the  follow- 
ing brief  extracts  from  one  or  two  of  his  letters : 

Fremont,  Nebraska,  July  21,  1868.— I  arrived  at  the 
depot  in  time;  met  Mr.  Burnell,  Bro.  Kermott  and  wife,  Mr. 
Dimmick,  and  Mr.  Smith.  We  reached  here  at  6:30.  Held 
meeting  in  the  open  air  last  night,  and  are  to  hold  meetings 
to-day  at  the  court  house.  I  am  so  glad  I  could  go,  and  in 
such  company,  and  on  such  an  errand.  We  stay  here  till  5:30, 
and  then  go  on  to  Columbus.  Do  not  feel  anxious  about  me. 
I  am  in  the  hands  of  the  great  Shepherd,  who  guards  His  loved 
ones  by  day  and  by  night . 

Bushnell,  Nebraska,  (463  miles' west  of  Omaha)  July  29. 
— We  stopped  at  Laramie  for  the  night  and  I  found  myself  very 
tired.  Our  company  are  together  now,  but  are  about  separating, 
so  as  to  reach  points  where  we  did  not  stop  going  out.  Some 
will  stay  at  Sidney,  some  at  North  Platte,  and  I  have  decided 
to  remain  at  Grand  Island  over  to-morrow.  Those  letters  from 
you  and  Ralph  were  handed  me  at  Cheyenne,  and  were  a  pleasant 
surprise.     Many  thanks. 


AT    BENTON    THE    CITY    OF    TENTS.  293 

We  take  the  following  from  an  extended  account  of  this 
tour  given  in  the  Home  Missionary  : 

We  went  forth,  halting  at  the  different  towns  and  spending 
as  much  time  as  we  could  to  advantage  in  religious  services, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  week  we  arrived  at  Benton,  then  the  last 
town  on  the  railroad.  There  we  spent  the  Sabbath.  Going 
and  returning,  we  reached  and  held  religious  services  at  every 
important  point  along  the  road.  Many  heard  the  gospel  upon 
whose  ears  its  notes  had  not  fallen  for  months  or  years.  Our 
meetings  were  held  where  we  could  best  reach  the  people,  quite 
frequently  upon  the  corners  of  the  streets,  in  the  open  air.  At 
Benton,  on  the  Sabbath,  the  congregations  were  large  and  atten- 
tive. One  service  was  held  in  a  gamblers'  tent.  As  we  entered, 
the  men  were  around  the  table,  engaged  in  their  avocation;  but 
as  soon  as  the  voice  of  singing  was  heard,  they  ceased,  and  to 
the  close  of  service  gave  the  most  respectful  attention  to  the 
words  of  truth  plainly  spoken  to  them. 

Benton  is  a  town  somewhat  "sai  generis."  The  work  of 
building  the  railroad  calls  together  large  numbers,  who  are  fol- 
lowed by  a  class  of  men  bent  on  gain,  many  of  whom  seem  to 
have  thrown  off  religious  restraint  in  a  great  measure.  A  town 
or  city  is  quickly  extemporized.  Poles  are  set  up  and  braced, 
rafters  raised,  and  the  whole  frame-work  spread  over  with  a 
covering  of  heavy  cotton  cloth.  Benton  is  a  city  of  tents, 
forcibly  reminding  one  of  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness.  A 
large  part  of  the  buildings  thus  hastily  constructed  are  saloons, 
devoted  to  gambling  or  drinking,  or  used  as  dance-houses. 

We  went  to  the  end  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  seven 
hundred  and  twelve  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Omaha,  and  spent 
a  little  time  there,  seeing  the  process  of  track-laying,  and  learn- 
ing many  facts  of  interest.  There  were  three  hundred  and  fifty 
men — a  small  army — engaged  in  laying  down  the  track.  This 
department  of  labor  is  under  the  immediate  direction  of  General 
Casement,  and  has  been  from  the  first.  It  is  so  systematized 
that  the  greatest  possible  results  of  the  force  employed  can  be 
secured.  He  is  furnished  with  cars  for  cooking,  eating  and 
sleeping,  so  that  the  men  are  all  boarded  near  their  work.  These 


294  LIFE    OF    REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

cars  are  on  the  track,  and  are  moved  up  as  the  work  progresses. 
The  workmen  are  well  fed  and  well  treated  in  every  way;  and 
they  work  with  a  will  and  an  energy  that  might  well  be  imitated 
by  those  who  are  laboring  in  the  Master's  vineyard.  To  feed 
them  requires  eleven  or  twelve  sacks  of  flour,  of  one  hundred 
pounds  each,  to  be  made  into  bread  daily.  A  drove  of  cattle  is 
kept  along,  and  a  bullock,  slaughtered  in  the  morning,  furnishes 
meat  for  the  day .  The  track  was  being  laid  down  at  the  rate 
of  from  two  to  four  miles  a  day.  It  has  already  passed  the 
ridge  which  divides  the  falling  rain,  sending  a  part  to  the 
Atlantic,  and  a  part  to  the  Pacific  ocean.  The  cars  now  run 
the  entire  length  of  Nebraska,  and  are  causing  the  hills  and 
valleys  of  the  new  territory  of  Wyoming  to  echo  back  the  shrill 
whistle  of  the  locomotive.  Utah  only  remains  to  be  spanned 
by  the  iron  track ,  to  bring  the  two  ends  of  the  continental  high- 
way together,  an  event  which  is  nearer  its  consummation  than 
many  are  aware.  If  thousands  are  attracted  by  the  scenery  of 
the  old  mountains,  whose  long  slumber  is  now  so  rudely  dis- 
turbed, what  numbers  will  be  set  in  motion  when  the  trip  from 
New  York  to  San  Francisco  can  be  made  in  a  week,  in  ease  and 
luxury! 

As  I  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  canvas  roofs  in  Benton,  I 
felt  how  desirable  it  is  that  some  one,  furnished  with  a  large 
tent,  should  be  sustained,  who  can  give  his  entire  time,  move 
on  with  the  tide,  and  be  as  leaven  in  the  midst  of  the  seething 
mass. 

Many  ministers  are  of  late  passing  over  this  road,  and  I  trust 
the  sight  of  their  eyes  will  so  affect  their  hearts  that  they  will 
blow  the  gospel  trumpet,  and  awaken  among  the  people  a  new 
impulse  in  home  missionary  work.  I  wish  every  pastor  in  New 
England  could  see  with  his  own  eyes,  what  needs  to  be  done  for 
those  who  are  delving  into  the  mountains,  and  building  up 
towns  and  cities,  where,  a  few  months  ago,  only  solitude  reigned 
in  its  primeval  silence. 

In  1868  he  wrote  to  the  Society  in  making  his  annual 
report : 


A    SUNDAY    AT    FREMONT.  295 

The  past  year  has  been  one  of  constant  and  increasing  activity 
in  respect  to  all  material  interests.  Our  great  railroad  is  extend- 
ing its  iron  arms  toward  the  Pacific,  and  even  now  is  reaching 
to  embrace  the  mountains  with  their  hidden  treasures,  which  are 
soon  to  be  laid  at  the  feet  of  the  nation.  The  population  is 
increasing;  capitalists  are  constructing  railways;  farms  are 
brought  under  cultivation;  towns  and  cities  are  springing  up; 
and  now  is  the  time  to  lay  the  foundations  of  gospel  institutions 
for  future  generations.  We  must  repeat  here  the  experience  and 
policy  of  the  early  settlers  of  New  England,  if  we  would  see  a 
prosperous  and  glorious  future.  Along  the  whole  river  front 
of  this  new  and  rapidly  developing  state,  }rour  Society  has  but 
two  missionaries.  We  need  a  large  re-enforcement  of  laborers 
without  dela}T.  Situated  as  we  are,  in  the  very  heart  of  the 
continent,  on  the  great  highway  of  nations,  destined  to  become 
the  chief  source  of  supply  to  the  mountain  territories,  how 
important  it  is  that  this  valle}T  should  be  thoroughly  evangelized, 
not  only  for  its  own  sake,  but  for  the  regions  beyond? 

In  1869 : 

The  removal  of  the  capital  to  Lincoln,  south  of  the  Platte, 
has  turned  a  heav}r  tide  of  population  into  that  part  of  the  state , 
where  new  fields  will  soon  be  opened  to  missionary  labor.  The 
southern  tier  of  counties  should  now  be  possessed  for  Christ;  it 
is  their  forming  period,  the  seed  time,  not  only  there,  but  indeed 
to  a  great  extent  through  the  whole  state.  Nebraska,  lying  as 
it  does  between  the  older  states  and  the  mountain  territories, 
must  not  be  left  to  barbarism. 

Omaha,  April  6,  1869. — I  spent  last  Sabbath  at  Fremont, 
and  had  an  interesting  da}'.  Sixteen  were  added  to  the  Con- 
gregational church,  the  results  of  a  season  of  religious  interest. 
Rev.  I.  E.  Heaton  is  about  closing  his  labors  with  them,  and 
they  are  to  have  a  minister  from  New  Hampshire  as  his  successor. 
Mr.  Heaton  located  at  Fremont  in  the  autumn  of  1856,  at  the 
very  commencement  of  its  settlement.  The  town  is  in  the 
Platte  valley,  on  the  line  of  the  U.  P.  R.  R.,  at  the  point  of 
junction  with  the  Sioux  City  and  Pacific  R.  R.  [now  the  Fre- 


296  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

mont  cfc  Elkhorn  Valley].  It  has  had  a  steady  and  somewhat 
rapid  growth.  Mr.  Heaton  resigns  his  charge,  not  expecting  to 
cease  the  active  labors  of  the  ministry,  but  will  preach  at  various 
points  in  the  vicinity  without  salary.  This  church  furnishes  a 
beautiful  illustration  of  the  fruits  of  patient,  persevering  labor 
in  planting  and  watering  the  institutions  of  the  gospel  on  new 
ground . 

The  week  following  this  visit  to  Fremont,  Mr.  Gaylord 
took  the  stage  coach  at  Omaha  for  a  ride  of  sixty-five  miles 
to  Atlantic,  Iowa,  to  organize  a  church  in  that  place.  Rev. 
Mr.  Hill,  who  was  laboring  there,  was  at  this  time  absent 
on  an  eastern  visit,  and  had  written  Mr.  Gaylord,  requesting 
him  to  attend  to  the  matter  soon.  The  roads  were  bad  and 
the  ride  a  long  and  wearisome  one.  He  found  a  Presby- 
terian brother  on  the  ground  preparing  to  gather  a  Presby- 
terian church.  But  the  membership  was  Congregational, 
many  of  them  having  been  connected  with  the  churches  of 
Grove  City  and  Exira,  and  Mr.  Gaylord  went  forward  and 
completed  the  organization  on  the  10th  of  April.  It  has 
proved  to  be  a  prosperous  and  growing  church  during  these 
twenty  years  of  its  existence,  and  has  done  much  good 
work  for  the  cause  in  that  portion  of  the  state.  Mr.  Hill 
has  been  their  only  pastor. 

At  the  General  Association  of  Illinois: 

Fakmington,  Illinois,  May  28,  1869. — After  we  left  Ham- 
burg it  began  to  rain  powerfully,  and  continued  until  the  road 
was  flooded.  Before  the  train  reached  St.  Joseph  the  water  ran 
down  the  bluffs  in  torrents,  and  washed  drift  onto  the  road  so 
that  they  had  to  stop  and  clear  the  track.  We  ran  across  a 
bridge  and  just  as  we  passed  off  it  fell  in,  and  another  right  be- 
fore us  was  unsafe.  We  lay  in  the  cars  all  night,  about  three 
miles  from  St.  Joseph,  and  in  the  morning  they  sent  wagons 
and  took  the  passengers  to  the  city.  I  stayed  all  day  at  Mr. 
Henshaw's,  and  took  the  evening  train  for  Quincy,  but  we 
were  again  detained,  and  finally  reached  here  yesterda}r  at  five  p. 
m.     1   went  immediately  to  the  church,  and  found  a  large  at- 


SABBATH   SCHOOL    WORK.  297 

tendance.  Saw  Brothers  Turner,  Bascom,  and  Jenny.  Mr. 
Carter  is  Moderator.  I  have  lost  the  cream  of  the  meeting  by 
those  detentions,  but  expect  to  enjoy  being  here  at  last.  Mr. 
Little,  from  Grinnell,  was  my  seat-mate  in  the  cars  from  Quincy 
to  Galesburg. 

Writing  of  his  work  as  superintendent  during  these 
years,  Mr.  Gaylord  says : 

I  coupled  with  it,  as  far  as  I  could,  the  labor  of  organizing 
Sabbath  schools  and  helping  those  already  in  existence. 

While  at  the  east,  when  I  was  assigned  to  my  new  post,  I 
attended  a  ministers'  meeting  in  Brooklyn,  and  dropped  the 
suggestion  that,  in  connection  with  my  new  work,  I  could  do 
much  to  aid  Sabbath  schools,  if  I  had  money  to  buy  books  for 
libraries.  The  pastor  of  the  South  Congregational  Church  in 
Brooklyn,  Rev.  Mr.  Taylor,  said  to  me,  "  Come  over  to  our 
school  next  Sabbath,  and  tell  them  your  plans  and  wishes." 
He  said  they  were  to  decide  at  that  time  what  disposition  they 
would  make  of  their  collection  for  the  coming  year.  The  result 
was  that  I  established  an  interesting  correspondence  with  the 
superintendent,  Mr.  Lawrence,  and  he  remitted  to  me  from 
time  to  time  small  sums  of  money  to  be  used  for  Sabbath  school 
purposes.  My  mode  of  operating  was  this:  With  the  money 
placed  .  in  my  hands  I  purchased  books  of  the  Massachusetts 
Sunday  School  Society  at  one-third  discount  from  the  regular- 
price,  and  with  these  I  supplied  schools  at  the  price  I  paid, 
without  any  charge  for  freight. 

New  schools  just  commencing  were  encouraged  to  raise 
what  they  could — sa}-  $5.00  or  $10.00 — and  I  would  give  them 
twice  that  amount  in  value  in  books  for  a  library.  This  proved 
a  most  healthy  stimulus  in  a  good  work.  In  this  way  I  put 
several  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  books  into  Sunday  school 
libraries  in  Nebraska  and  western  Iowa.  A  gentleman,  a 
banker  in  New  York  City,  also  co-operated  with  me  in  the 
same  way. 

Of  the  many  tours  that  he  made  over  his  field,  an  account 
of  two  is  contained  in  a  report  written  near  the  close  of  I860  : 


.298  LIFE   OP   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

The  close  of  the  fifth  year  of  service  as  your  Agent  in  this 
frontier  district,  reminds  me  that,  thirty-one  years  ago  to-day, 
I  commenced  my  ministry  in  Mount  Pleasant,  Iowa,  under 
commission  from  your  Society.  I  cannot  but  wonder  at  the 
changes  that  all  these  years  have  wrought  over  a  vast  region, 
then  without  inhabitant,  but  now  filled  with  a  busy  and  enter- 
prising population.  Iowa,  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Kansas  and 
Nebraska,  with  the  new  States  on  the  Pacific  coast,  have  been 
brought  into  the  Union,  and  over  them  all  the  Gospel  has  to 
some  extent  exerted  its  molding  influence,  until  in  some  places 
the  wilderness  has  become  a  fruitful  field.  But  the  work,  instead 
of  being  done,  seems  just  begun.  On  the  3d  of  September,  I 
went  west  one  hundred  miles  on  the  Union  Pacific,  and  labored 
more  than  a  week  in  Butler  and  Platte  counties.  Spent  the 
Sabbath  at  Columbus;  preached  there  in  the  morning  and  in  the 
afternoon  fourteen  miles  north,  where  I  administered  the  Lord's 
Supper.  On  Monday,  went  with  Mr.  Chase  to  the  south  side 
of  Platte  river,  preached  three  times,  held  a  communiom  service 
and  organized  a  second  church  in  Butler  county — returning  to 
Columbus  on  Thursday  to  prayer  meeting.  The  next  day  went  to 
the  Pawnee  Agency,  twenty  miles  northwest.  Had  an  interview 
with  the  Agent  and  a  devoted  Christian  lady,  Mrs.  Piatt,  who, 
with  true  missionary  zeal,  is  doing  what  she  can  to  educate  and 
Christianize  the  children  and  youth  of  the  Pawnee  tribe.  I  am 
sending  a  quantity  of  the  Pictorial  Tract  Primers  for  her  Indian 
boys  and  girls.  At  night,  after  preaching  at  evening  service, 
left  for  Columbus,  twenty  miles  away.  Losing  our  way 
several  times  in  the  darkness,  we  turned  back  to  our  starting 
place,  rather  than  sta}r  all  night  upon  the  prairies  in  the  vicinity 
of  so  many  Indians.  With  Rev.  Mr.  Knowles,  of  Salt  Creek, 
and  Ins  famous  ponies,  I  have  been  through  the  southern  por- 
tion of  the  state.  Leaving  home  October  16,  and  spending  the 
Sabbath  with  Mr.  K.,  we  started  for  Nebraska  City,  stopping 
by  the  way  about  eighteen  miles  west  of  that  place,  where  a 
good  Christian  family  from  Quincy  is  maintaining  a  Sabbath 
school,  and  where  it  will  be  good  economy  to  send  a  minister. 
Pawnee  county  is  one  of  the  finest  in  Nebraska.     Pawnee  City, 


DEVOTION    TO    WORK.  299 

the  county  town,  is  well  located.  Seven  miles  west  of  that 
place  we  found  Mr.  Miles,  and  spent  two  nights  and  a  stormy 
da}'  with  him,  improving  the  time  to  organize  a  church  with 
seven  members.  After  a  ride  of  forty  miles  over  prairie,  to  a 
great  extent  destitute  of  timber,  but  with  good  building  stone 
in  abundance,  and  fine  land  well  watered,  we  reached  Beatrice, 
the  count}'  seat  of  Gage  county,  where  we  passed  the  Sabbath, 
hospitably  entertained  by  Mr.  Henry  Atkinson,  the  son-in- 
law  of  Senator  Tipton. 

After  two  services  on  the  Sabbath,  we  next  day  rode  sixty 
miles  against  a  cold  wind  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Knowles,  passing 
through  Lincoln.  I  reached  home  October  28,  having  in  two 
weeks  traveled  over  350  miles,  mostly  by  private  conveyance. 
A  few  hours  after,  I  left  for  Fontanelle,  where  we  met  to  organ- 
ize an  Association  for  that  part  of  our  state  north  of  the  Platte 
river. 

Among  his  papers  are  found  these  sentences,  that  show 
the  devotion  of  the  man  to  his  work: 

I  have  richly  enjoyed  the  pleasure  of  meeting  a  scattered 
population,  gathered  in  a  school  house  or  a  private  room,  and 
ministering  to  their  spiritual  hunger  for  the  word  of  God.  The 
longer  I  have  been  engaged  in  this  work  the  greater  has  been 
my  love  for  it,  and  the  deeper  my  conviction  of  its  importance. 

Nursery  Hill,  [Now  Syracuse]  January  14,1870. — At  Dr. 
Burleigh's: — I  reached  Nebraska  City  about  10  a.  m.  Had  Mr. 
Peabody  for  a  traveling  companion.  As  we  left  the  cars  Mr. 
Hendrie,  from  the  Bluffs,  made  his  appearance,  and  we  all 
walked  over  to  the  city,  crossing  the  river  on  the  ice.  They 
assisted  me  in  carrying  my  satchel,  for  which  I  was  thankful.  I 
went  to  Mr.  Buck's,  who  is  not  very  well  this  winter — has  some 
trouble  with  his  lungs.  1  spent  the  night  there,  and  at  8  a.  m. 
yesterday  took  the  stage  for  this  place,  where  I  arrived  about 
noon .  The  ride  was  rough  and  cold .  This  morning  it  is  snow- 
ing quite  fast.  This  will  hinder  my  work,  and  may  prevent 
meeting  to-night,  but  I  hope  not. 


300  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

The  storm  did  prevent  the  organization  of  the  church  at 
that  time — and  it  was  not  effected  until  a  year  later. 

Fontanelle,  February  15,  1870. — I  had  a  cold  ride  to  Blair 
on  Saturday,  }^et  stood  it  well.  Mr.  Chase  came  soon  after  I 
got  there,  and  we  two  composed  the  council.  We  found  they 
had  agreed  upon  their  articles  of  faith,  covenant,  etc.,  and  that 
eight  persons  had  entered  into  the  organization .  We  re-organized 
them  as  the  Congregational  church  of  Blair.  Monday  went  on 
to  Bell  Creek  Station  ;  called  on  Mr.  Jones,  and  in  the  after- 
noon came  up  here  with  the  mail  carrier.  Found  Mr.  Emery's 
letter  which  you  sent  me;  was  sorry  for  its  contents,  but  do 
not  relinquish  all  hope,  as  he  seems  ready  to  make  an  effort  to 
do  what  he  can  for  the  institution.  Held  our  meeting  of  trus- 
tees, and  considered  the  proposition  of  Mr.  Douglas  to  take 
charge  of  the  school  two  years  without  pay,  except  what  the 
church  could  give  him.  I  suggested  that  we  adjourn  our  meet- 
ing for  one  month,  and  thus  give  time  to  hear  again  from  Mr. 
Emery.  This  was  finally  carried,  and  we  adjourned  to  March 
14.  I  am  somewhat  tired,  and  shall  stay  at  Bro.  Bisbee's  to- 
night. 

Mention  is  found  of  the  organization,  by  Mr.  Gaylord,  of 
the  churches  at  Columbus,  Schuyler,  Elkhorn  City,  and 
Milford,  besides  those  elsewhere  reported. 

In  the  Home  Missionary  of  February,  1870,  is  the  follow- 
ing letter  from  Mr.  Gaylord 's  pen,  entitled,  "  Omaha  Off  the 
List:" 

Last  Sabbath  we  received  an  accession  of  eleven  members  to 
the  church  in  Omaha.  In  the  evening  we  held  the  monthly 
concert  of  prayer.  I  gave  some  history  of  the  home  missionary 
work  in  our  state,  and  reminded  the  church  that,  being  the 
oldest,  she  should  be  an  example  to  the  rest,  and  suggested 
that  the  time  had  come  when  we  should  come  up  to  the  position 
of  self-support.  Toward  the  close  of  the  meeting  the  purpose 
to  ask  no  more  aid  of  the  Home  Missionary  Society  was  declared ,. 
and  the  following  resolution  was  passed  with  great  earnestness 
and  unanimity,  viz.: 


LETTER    TO    MRS.    LATHROP.  301 

llSesolved,  That  at  this,  the  first  missionary  meeting  held 
by  this  church  since  it  became  self-supporting,  we  hereby  re- 
turn our  sincere  and  heartfelt  thanks  to  the  American  Home 
Missionary  Society  for  the  generous  aid  received  in  all  these 
years  of  weakness  and  dependence  ;  that  henceforth  we  will  most 
gladly  co-operate  with  the  Society  in  the  home  missionary  work 
which  yet  remains  to  be  done  and  is  now  so  pressing  ;  and  that 
Rev.  R.  Gaylord  be  requested  to  forward  this  resolution  to  the 
Society . ' ' 

To  say  that  it  gives  me  pleasure  to  send  you  this  action  of 
the  church,  but  faintly  expresses  the  jo}r  I  feel.  From  the  in- 
terest manifested  and  the  readiness  to  adopt  the  above  resolu- 
tion, I  am  sure  that  this  church  will  not  forget  their  obligations 
for  aid  received  since  1856;  and  that  they  will  be  ready  to  make 
liberal  contributions  to  the  funds  of  the  Society  as  God  shall 
give  them  the  ability. 

To  Mrs.  D.  W.  Lathrop,  New  Haven,  Connecticut : 

Omaha,  Nebraska,  March  25,  1870. — Dear  Madam:  *  *  * 
I  have  the  pleasure  of  informing  you  that  the  box  has  been 
received  in  good  order,  and  its  contents  looked  over  with  great 
gratification  to  us,  real  thankfulness  to  you,  the  donors,  and  to 
our  kind  Heavenly  Father,  from  whom  all  our  blessings  come. 
It  is  two  weeks  to-day  since  the  box  arrived,  and  there  was  just 
time  to  look  at  the  various  articles  before  I  was  obliged  to  leave 
for  an  appointment  fort}'-  miles  away.  I  reached  home  on 
Wednesday  night,  expecting  to  leave  again  on  Saturday  morn- 
ing. But  our  people  laid  hold  of  me  to  preach  a  memorial 
sermon  on  the  last  Sabbath  we  were  to  occupy  our  house  of 
worship.  Before  sitting  down  to  the  work  of  preparation  I  put 
on  that  nice  study  gown  from  the  box ,  and  went  into  the  pulpit 
on  the  Sabbath  to  preach  wearing  the  frock  coat.  The  hat  is 
just  right  in  size  and  much  better  than  my  best  one.  All  the 
articles  designed  for  me  can  be  worn  with  only  slight  alterations. 
The  sugar,  rice  and  coffee  will  save  just  so  much  money,  and 
will  seem  much  nicer  and  better  to  us  than  if  we  had  purchased 
them  ourselves.     Do  not  think  us  ungrateful  for  not  writing 


302  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLOB.D. 

sooner,  but  accept  our  thanks  that  you  have  so  thoughtfully 
and  wisely  ministered  to  our  wants  and  thus  lightened  our 
burdens.  I  remember  those  pleasant  years  when  I  was  being 
trained  in  your  beautiful  city  for  this,  my  life-work.  I  have 
a  dear  classmate  in  your  church,  the  treasurer  of  Yale  College r 
who  has  shown  his  interest  both  in  your  work  and  in  me  by 
sending  me  his  draft  for  twenty  dollars.  This  came  as  a  mercy 
drop  from  above,  when  we  were  in  straits,  and  helped  us  to 
means  we  were  in  most  pressing  need  of.  It  seemed  a  gracious 
answer  to  prayer  and  helped  us  to  hold  on  to  our  anchor — 
"Trust  in  the  Lord  and  do  good." 

I  feel,  dear  ladies,  that  you  are  engaged  in  a  noble  work, 
and  one  that  is  prompted  by  the  spirit  of  Him  who  pleased  not 
himself.  I  have  often  heard  and  read  of  your  charities,  and 
the  comfort  and  happiness  they  carry  with  them,  and  am  glad 
to  be  numbered  among  your  beneficiaries.  We  read  your  report 
with  much  interest.  May  you  be  greatly  blessed  in  your  good 
work,  and  the  toil-worn  missionary  be  often  comforted  by  your 
words  of  cheer  and  substantial  gifts .  He  who  knows  our  wants 
knows  how  to  provide  for  them,  and  it  is  interesting  to  see  how 
His  gifts  come  when  most  needed.  So  we  have  found  it  in  our 
own  experience.  *  *  *  *  New  Haven,  always  dear  to  me 
since  college  days,  will  be  still  more  endeared  by  these  tokens  of 
Christian  kindness  and  sympathy.     Yours  very  sincerely, 

Reuben  Gaylokd. 

In  the  Home  Missionary  of  May,  is  brief  mention  of  the 
fact  that  Mr.  Gaylord  had  resigned  his  position  as  "  Agent " 
of  the  A.  H.  M.  S.  The  following  month  a  part  of  his  letter 
of  resignation  appeared : 

I  now  resign  my  agency;  not  because  I  am  tired  of  the  work, 
or  have  any  less  love  for  it  than  formerly.  I  commenced  preach- 
ing in  Iowa,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six,  December  1,  1838,  under 
a  commission  from  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society. 
After  laboring  seventeen  years  in  that  state,  eleven  of  them  as 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Danville,  which  came  up  to  self-support 
under  my  ministry,  I  came  to  Nebraska  and  took  up  my  abode 


RESIGNS    AS    SUPERINTENDENT.  303' 

in  Omaha,  then  in  its  infancy.  Here,  under  the  fostering  care 
of  3rour  Society,  I  organized  the  first  Congregational  church  in 
the  territory,  and  others  afterward,  and  labored  with  it  nine 
years,  until  called  to  act  as  agent  of  the  Society  for  Nebraska 
and  Western  Iowa.  I  came  here  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  with 
perfect  health,  full  of  ardor  for  the  good  cause  to  which  I  had 
devoted  my  life,  and  enthusiastic  with  the  idea  of  planting  a 
pure  Gospel  in  a  new  land.  I  began  my  work  as  your  agent  in 
November,  1864,  and  have  devoted  my  time,  strength  and 
energy  to  the  interests  of  the  Society,  and  what  seemed  the  best 
good  of  the  field,  always  refusing  to  mix  with  my  work  an y 
kind  of  secular  business.  I  have  the  satisfaction  of  feeling  that 
I  share  a  good  measure  of  the  love  and  esteem  of  the  people 
whose  spiritual  welfare  I  have  tried  to  promote.  As  I  now  lay 
down  my  work,  I  look  out  upon  a  goodly  family  of  churches, 
eighteen  in  number,  the  way  to  organize  others  preparing,  and 
Gospel  influences  extending  more  rapidly  than  ever  before.  I 
seem  to  have  come  to  the  end  of  a  long  path,  with  a  wall  before 
me,  through  Avhich  as  yet  I  see  no  opening.  I  can  only  lay 
myself  down  at  my  Master's  feet,  and  wait  his  bidding.  If  he 
has  no  more  work  for  me  to  do,  I  will  try  to  be  content.  There 
remaineth  }*et  much  land  to  be  possessed,  and  in  view  of  the 
present  outlook  of  this  frontier  field,  I  earnestly  hope  that  the 
resources  of  the  Society  will  enable  it  to  enter  and  occupy 
the  new  openings  for  the  Gospel  that  are  constantly  coming  to- 
to  our  knowledge.       *       *       * 

Mr.  Gaylord's  resignation  was  to  take  effect  in  March, 
1870,  and  Rev.  0.  W.  Merrill,  of  Anamosa,  Iowa,  was 
appointed  in  his  place.  Mr.  Merrill  came  out  in  March, 
but  soon  returned  to  Anamosa.  As  he  could  not  arrange 
his  affairs  to  leave  until  May,  Mr.  Gaylord  continued  to  do 
the  work  for  some  weeks  longer.  Among  his  last  labors 
were  the  securing  of  two  lots  in  Covington  for  a  church 
building,  and  the  organization  of  a  church  toward  the  south 
part  of  the  state.  It  was  twelve  miles  away  from  the  last 
railroad  station.     There  was  a  mixture  of  snow  and  mud.. 


304  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

which  made  walking  difficult.  "With  the  exception  of  a 
short  ride  with  some  one  going  to  mill,  he  walked  the  entire 
distance,  arriving  weary  and  foot-sore  on  Saturday  evening) 
and  organized  the  church  the  next  day. 

The  close  of  this  year  of  labor  saw  fourteen  missionaries 
commissioned  in  the  state.  Seven  churches  were  organized 
that  year ;  two — Omaha  and  Fremont — assumed  self  sup- 
port, and  one  young  church,  Camp  Creek,  never  was  assisted 
by  the  society.  Three  new  houses  of  worship  were  built — 
at  Lincoln,  Milford  and  Plattsmouth.  Everything  indicated 
a  decided  advance,  and  a  most  hopeful  state  of  affairs. 

To  Rev.  Dr.  Coe: 

June  2,  1870. — I  spent  the  first  Sabbath  in  March  at 
Schuyler,  faying  to  perfect  the  organization  of  the  church. 
As  Mr.  Smith  had  left  and  the  papers  of  the  church  could  not 
be  found,  I  could  do  nothing  further  in  the  reception  of  mem- 
bers. I  visited  among  the  people,  preached  on  the  Sabbath  and 
administered  the  Lord's  supper.  During  the  next  week  I  went 
to  Fontanelle  to  attend  a  special  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees of  our  institution,  and  spent  the  Sabbath,  preaching  twice. 
I  was  detained  bj^  a  fearful  storm ,  and  reached  home  Wednesday 
night  to  find  that  I  was  announced  to  preach  a  memorial  sermon 
on  the  occasion  of  leaving  our  old  church,  as  the  society  had 
sold  the  property  and  must  remove.  They  have  purchased 
another  lot,  and  the  contracts  are  let  for  building  a  new  house. 
After  canceling  a  previous  engagement,  I  was  obliged  to  make 
a  very  hasty  preparation  for  the  Sabbath.  Our  editors  asked 
for  a  copy  of  the  sermon  and  published  it  entire.  I  spent  the 
next  Sabbath  at  Irvington  with  Mr.  Hurl  hurt's  church;  pre- 
sented the  cause  of  home  missions ,  and  a  collection  and  subscrip- 
tion were  taken  up.  Bro.  Hurlburt  is  off  on  a  tour  to  California 
for  his  health.  He  has  a  lung  difficulty  and  we  feared  at  one 
time  that  his  work  was  done.  On  the  1st  da}'  of  April  I  went 
out  to  Columbus  in  company  with  Bev.  B.  H.  Fairbairn  of 
Wisconsin,  to  spend  a  Sabbath  and  see  what  could  be  done  for 
the   church.     We    found   them    in   a    very   discouraged   state, 


A    TOUR   TO    UTAH    TERRITORY:  "!)~ 

almost  ready  to  give  up  the  enterprise.  I  labored  with  some 
success  to  dissuade  them  from  the  idea.  We  had  a  pleasant  and 
I  think  a  profitable  time.  We  paid  Rev.  Mr.  Dresser  a  visit, 
and  stopped  at  Schuyler.  It  is  very  important  that  a  minister 
come  as  soon  as  possible  to  look  after  these,  churches  and  hold 
the  ground  already  gained.  April  15,  I  attended  the  spring 
meeting  of  the  North  Platte  Association  at  Blair.  We  had  a 
good  meeting.  Mr.  Tiugley  is  holding  on  there  with  a  true 
perseverance  and  some  encouragement.  He  has  a  flourishing- 
Sabbath  school,  and  I  have  furnished  them  with  a  good  library. 
I  spent  one  Sabbath  in  Bellevue  and  Larimer.  The  first  Sab- 
bath in  May  I  was  again  at  Irvington  and  administered  the 
sacrament,  receiving  nine  members  to  the  church.      *      *      * 

I  have  thus  made  my  last  report  as  your  agent  for  Nebraska . 
I  rejoice  that  the  Great  Master  has  given  me  strength  to  labor 
in  this  new  field  so  long, and  see  so  much  accomplished.  I  leave 
the  work  with  regret.  If  I  were  beginning  life's  work  now  I 
should  love  nothing  better  than  to  go  into  some  one  of  our  new 
fields  and  mould  and  shape  it.  But  we  have  twice  planted  our- 
selves upon  the  frontier,  and  to  do  it  again  would  be  folly. 

As  the  time  drew  near  for  him  to  lay  down  his  work  as 
Superintendent,  he  received  a  proposition  from  Dr.  Coe,  one 
of  the  secretaries  of  the  A.  H.  M.  S.,  to  go  out  on  an  explor- 
ing tour,  stopping  at  towns  on  the  Union  Pacific  and  visiting- 
Salt  Lake  City.  He  made  such  a  tour,  and  the  following 
from  his  letters  gives  some  account  of  it: 

Ogdex,  Utah  Territory,  May  30. — We  reached  here  about 
five  or  six  o'clock  in  safety,  deeply  impressed  with  the  exhibi- 
tion of  Divine  power  seen  in  these  grand  old  mountains. 

As  I  stepped  off  the  cars  on  the  platform  at  Ogden,  a  young 
man,  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Seymour,  came  up  and  spoke  to  me. 
He  is  in  the  paymaster's  department  of  the  U.  P.  R.  R.  I  put 
up  at  the  Ogden  House,  where  I  am  now  writing,  then  made 
inquiries  about  the  opportunity  for  holding  service  on  Sunday. 
Was  informed  that  the  Mormons  were  to  have  a  large  meeting 
on  that  day,  and  was  advised  to  go  and  hear  them,  which  I  con- 

21 


306  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

sented  to  do.  I  have  arranged  for  a  service  Thursday  evening 
of  this  week  in  the  Mormon  tabernacle,  a  very  large  building 
and  the  only  place  for  gathering  a  congregation.  I  was  quite 
disappointed  in  Ogden,  supposing  it  to  be  a  new  town  built  up 
with  the  advent  of  the  railroad,  but  instead  of  that  it  is  twenty 
years  old.  They  have  orchards  in  full  bearing,  and  peach  trees 
and  small  fruits  in  the  gardens.  The  buildings  are  made  largely 
of  adobe  or  sun-dried  brick.  The  city  contains  something  over 
twenty  square  miles,  and  lies  along  the  foot  of  the  hills,  the 
tops  of  which  are  covered  with  snow.  The  Boston  excursion 
came  in  Saturday  evening  with  eight  cars  all  new,  lighted  with 
gas  and  made  a  fine  appearance.  They  publish  a  daily  paper — 
the  il  Tram- Continental."  They  went  down  to  Salt  Lake  City 
Saturday  evening,  spent  the  day,  returned  last  evening  and 
passed  on  for  the  Pacific.  The  conductor  of  the  sleeping  car 
in  which  I  came  was  very  gentlemanly,  and  took  pains  to  show 
me  any  objects  of  interest  along  the  road.  I  took  some  notes 
of  the  Mormon  discourse  yesterday,  but  was  not  much  edified. 
They  warned  their  servants  against  the  inroads  of  "civilization," 
meaning  the  evils  which  have  gathered  at  points  along  this 
highway  of  nations. 

Ogden,  June  2. — Monday  evening  I  went  down  to  Corinne 
and  spent  the  night,  returning  at  three  p.  M.,  Tuesday.  In  go- 
ing down  we  went  in  sight  of  the  Lake  for  miles,  and  some  of 
the  time  along  near  the  waters.  I  saw  one  of  the  Creightons 
from  Omaha  there,  also  Gen.  Conner.  Yesterday  I  went  down 
to  the  "City  of  the  Saints,"  and  there  I  met  H.  D.  Johnson, 
Mat  Patrick  and  Mr.  Kiley,  the  furniture  man  from  Omaha. 
Mr.  Patrick  is  Marshal,  and  greeted  me  most  heartily.  I  looked 
over  the  city  and  saw  two  or  three  who  were  Mr.  McLeod's 
supporters,  from  whom  I  gained  what  information  I  could.  I 
found  the  building  where  he  used  to  preach;  visited  the 
tabernacle,  and  looked  at  the  foundations  of  the  new  temple. 
Saw  Brigham  riding  about  the  streets.  Utah  throughout  feels 
the  taint  of  the  Mormon  heresy.  On  many  of  the  stores  is  the 
the  sign,  "Holiness  to  the  Lord,"  "Zion's  Co-operative  Mer- 


PREACHING    AT    THE    COAL    MINES.  307 

cantile  Institution."     They  intend  to  keep  all  the  business  out 
of  the  hands  of  the  Gentiles. 

Evanston,  Wyoming  Territory,  June  4. — I  was  able  to  get 
hold  of  nothing  at  Ogden  to  encourage  me.  I  preached  last 
night  at  the  depot  room,  but  there  are  only  a  few  people  here. 
The  depot  master  did  my  singing  for  me.  I  have  another 
appointment  to-morrow  evening.  The  Wyoming  coal  mines 
are  about  two  miles  from  here.  I  shall  go  over  there  to-day 
and  stay  to-night,  and  if  lean  get  the  people  together  to  talk 
to  them  about  the  interests  of  the  soul,  shall  probably  have 
meeting  there  to-morrow  forenoon.  I  shall  explore  the  points 
of  interest  and  learn  all  the  facts  possible  bearing  upon  my 
mission.  I  took  a  walk  off  into  the  hills  about  two  miles  this 
morning.  The  air  was  clear  and  the  view  grand.  I  could  see 
the  Bear  river  for  quite  a  long  distance. 

I  have  read  the  verses  from  Isaiah  to  which  you  referred. 
The  Scriptures  are  precious  if  we  can  only  appropriate  them 
and  make  them  our  own.  My  thoughts  often  turn  to  y on  and 
the  dear  home  so  far  away.  Think  I  shall  be  able  to  understand 
home  comforts  when  I  get  back.  "As  the  mountains  are  round 
about  Jerusalem"  is  often  in  my  mind  as  I  pass  through  the 
canons.  "Lo,  God  is  here,"  is  another  thought,  and  a  precious 
one.  I  do  desire  that  my  trip  may  be  productive  of  lasting 
good  to  this  great  thoroughfare. 

June  6. — Saturday  I  went  up  to  the  coal  mines,  where  I  was 
made  welcome  and  very  kindly  entertained .  I  was  shown  about 
the  mines  aud  was  filled  with  wonder  and  astonishment.  Shall 
love  to  tell  you  about  it  sometime .  I  went  down  the  track  for  a 
mile  on  a  hand  car  rolled  by  Chinamen,  then  walked  to  the 
mines  about  two  miles  away.  I  preached  there  in  a  "bunk- 
room"  yesterday  morning  to  a  company  of  men,  some  of  them 
black  with  coal  dust.  One  man  who  has  been  at  work  on  the 
road  a  long  time,  said  it  was  the  best  Sabbath  he  had  seen  since 
he  came  out.  Bibles  are  not  very  plenty  in  this  region. 
Saloons  seem  to  be  more  abundant.  The  man  at  the  depot  has 
a  Bible,  but  there  is  none  in  the  house  where  I  am  stopping. 


308  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

Ogden,  June  13. — I  have  spent  three  days  in  making  all  the 
investigations  I  could.  Dined  with  the  Episcopal  minister,  and 
also  with  the  Methodist.  Formed  the  acquaintance  of  Judge 
Hawley  and  wife,  very  estimable  people.  I  heard  the  Godbeites 
preach  and  tried  to  find  out  their  drift.  If  they  do  not  land  in 
downright  infidelity  it  will  be  more  than  I  can  hope.  I  preached 
in  the  Tabernacle  at  two  o'clock  to  a  congregation  of  three 
hundred  or  more,  and  in  the  evening  at  the  depot  to  a  congre- 
gation of  thirty  or  forty.  There  is  great  indifference  here, 
and  it  is  hard  to  make  any  impression . 

Bryan,  June  14. — On  the  train  down  here  I  met  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bentle^y  and  some  of  their  party  returning  from 
California.  It  was  pleasant  to  see  familiar  faces  once  more.  I 
stopped  off  at  Evanston  last  night,  and  had  meeting  again. 
It  rained  yesterday  and  last  evening,  yet  I  preached  and  had  a 
good  time. 

Bawling s,  Wyoming  Territory,  June  16. — As  I  was  walk- 
ing along,  a  hand  was  laid  upon  my  shoulder,  and  I  turned  around 
to  see  Mr.  Daniels.  He  handed  me  your  letter  and  the  paper. 
I  have  just  been  taking  a  walk  up  to  the  spring  that  gives  the 
name  to  this  place.  It  is  a  very  large  spring  boiling  up  in  the 
sand,  and  the  water  is  brought  from  it  to  supply  the  town. 
Beyond  it  is  a  high  ridge  of  rock,  through  which  there  is  a 
natural  opening  for  the  railroad  track.  There  are  bold  pro- 
jecting rocks  on  both  sides  as  if  they  had  been  broken  asunder 
by  some  great  concussion  of  the  earth .  East  of  this ,  I  am  told , 
is  a  large  sulphur  spring.  This  is  one  of  tjie  most  wonderful 
sections  of  this  mountain  region.  I  hope  Georgia  will  try  to 
do  all  she  can  to  relieve  her  mother.     Give  her  a  kiss  for  me. 

June  18. — I  am  improving  the  time  while  here  in  getting 
acquainted  with  the  people  as  far  I  can,  and  hope  to  be  able  to 
address  good  congregations  to-morrow  at  ten  a.  m.  and  eight  p.  si. 
There  is  a  camp  of  soldiers  here,  and  I  have  formed  the  ac- 
quaintance of  the  captain,  who  is  very  much  of  a  gentleman. 
Yesterday  Mr.  Hale  had  some  friends  stopping  with  him  for  a 
day  or  two,  and  they  proposed  going  up  to  the  coal  mines, 


ORGANIZATION   AT    CACTUS.  309 

about  nine  miles  west  of  here.  After  we  returned,  Capt.  Dawes 
from  the  camp,  brought  around  some  horses  and  several  soldiers 
as  a  guard,  and  we  rode  out  about  four  miles  to  the  Cherokee 
springs.  The  railroad  company  are  digging  a  ditch,  and  are 
going  to  put  in  pipes  to  bring  the  water  from  these  springs  to 
the  town. 

Laramie,  Wyoming  Territory,  June  22. — I  preached  twice 
on  the  Sabbath;  at  half-past  ten  to  a  small  congregation,  and 
at  eight  p.m.  to  quite  a  good  audience.  I  went  to  bed  at  night, 
but  could  not  sleep  for  some  time.  At  half-past  two  Monday 
morning  I  took  the  train  and  came  down  to  Cactus,  where  I 
stopped.  At  night  had  a  meeting  in  the  store,  and  talked  to 
the  people  about  the  way  and  need  of  salvation.  They  seemed 
interested  and  I  suggested  the  desirableness  of  having  a  Sunday 
school  and  preaching.  I  lodged  in  the  store  and  took  breakfast 
with  the  superintendent  of  the  coal  mines.  There  seemed  to  be 
so  much  interest  that  I  concluded  to  stop  and  spend  the  day 
and  visit  among  the  people  and  see  if  I  could  open  the  way  for 
doing  any  good.  Had  meeting  last  night  again  at  the  store, 
and  urged  upon  them  the  importance  of  starting  a  Sunday 
school;  told  them  what  the}'  needed  and  made  them  an  offer 
toward  a  library.  They  circulated  a  subscription  for  means  to 
get  one  and  other  things  they  need,  and  the  paper  came  back 
with  pledges  to  the  amount  of  thirty-three  dollars.  They  ex- 
pect to  add  to  it  to-day.  They  agreed  to  meet  next  Sabbath  at 
half- past  ten  to  organize  their  school,  and  will  write  to  me  and 
send  the  money  when  it  is  collected  to  pay  for  library,  singing 
books,  etc.  The}'  seemed  greatly  interested.  I  mingled  with 
the  miners  in  the  midst  of  their  work,  and  went  down  into  the 
mines  in  a  shaft  seventy  feet  deep,  then  went  through  the  hill 
and  came  out  on  the  other  side,  and  walked  back  again.  I  had 
a  guide  with  his  lamp.  They  took  out  three  hundred  and  fifty 
tons  of  coal  yesterday.  I  left  them  this  morning  feeling  con- 
vinced that  I  had  been  able  to  do  some  good. 

June  25. — The  weather  here  is  delightful — clear,  cool  and 
bracing.  I  rode  out  about  nine  miles  yesterday  up  the  Big 
Laramie  to  a  ranch,  where  they  have   between   five  and  six 


310  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

thousand  head  of  cattle.  It  is  that  one  in  -which  Creighton  is 
interested.  The  Laramie  is  a  fine  stream,  and  comes  out  of  the 
mountains  not  far  from  here.  I  am  going  down  to  Fort  Saun- 
ders this  morning,  about  three  miles,  return  this  evening, 
and  have  the  day  here  to-morrow.  We  might  have  had  a 
church  if  we  had  been  on  the  alert,  but,  as  the  Methodist  minis- 
ter said,  "All  the  Congregationalists  have  been  gobbled  up  b3r 
others."  I  shall  go  on  to  Cheyenne  Monday  if  the  Lord  will. 
Am  feeling  quite  tired,  but  otherwise  well.  It  seems  Mr.  Isaacs 
has  gone  to  the  other  world.  "We  get  the  Omaha  papers  here,  and  I 
will  keep  the  run  of  things  so  far  as  the  types  give  it.  The 
time  is  drawing  near  when  I  hope  to  see  you  once  more,  for  I 
seem  to  have  been  away  a  long  time. 

To  Rev.  D.  B.  Coe: 

Omaha,  July  5. — As  I  came  on  from  the  west  I  found  your 
letter  at  Cheyenne,  from  which  I  learned  your  desire  to  have 
me  visit  Colorado,  but  I  had  a  strong  conviction  that  my  duty 
was  to  come  home  and  visit  my  family,  and  also  felt  that  a  rest 
of  a  few  days  would  enable  me  to  do  the  work  better.  In  the 
kind  providence  of  God  while  in  doubt  which  way  to  go, 
the  western  train  brought  Col.  Hammond,  the  superintendent, 
and  he  said,  "Go  home  and  rest,  and  I  will  send  you  back,  and 
it  shall  not  cost  you  anything."  Having  enjoyed  a  few  days 
of  rest  at  home,  I  will  now  give  you  some  account  of  my  ex- 
plorations thus  far. 

The  third  of  June  I  came  down  the  road  about  seventy-five 
miles  to  a  place  called  Evanston.  This  point,  from  the  present 
aspect  of  it,  does  not  look  like  one  of  much  promise,  yet 
there  are  elements  of  growth  here  that  will,  or  may  in  the  future, 
make  it  a  centre  of  influence.  It  is  on  Bear  river,  which  is  a 
stream  of  sufficient  size  to  furnish  good  water  power .  Most  of  the 
water  through  that  region  is  strongly  impregnated  with  alkali. 
Three  miles  down  is  a  very  extensive  deposit  of  coal  of  an  ex- 
cellent quality.  Adjacent  to  it  is  a  mountain  of  iron  ore,  and 
it  would  not  be  strange  if  smelting  furnaces  should  be  erected 
there  to  reduce  this  ore,  and  these  in  turn  might  lead  to  iron 


EVANSTON   AND    BEAR    RIVER.  311 

manufactories.  There  is  talk  of  a  branch  road  to  run  down  the 
Bear  river  and  up  to  Montana,  thus  making  Evanston  the  future 
shipping  point  for  Montana  and  Idaho  freight.  This  will 
necessitate  the  building  of  shops,  round  houses,  etc.,  and  the 
employment  of  a  large  number  of  men  at  the  place.  In  view  of 
all  these  prospective  influences  and  the  present  facts,  I  was  im- 
pressed with  the  importance  of  seizing  upon  this  early,  before 
other  dominating  influences  have  centered,  and  making  it  an 
objective  point  for  gospel  work.  The  devil  has  batteries  there 
already,  well  manned,  in  the  shape  of  two  or  three  grog  shops 
called  saloons.  From  this  point  I  felt  constrained  to  return  to 
Ogden,  and  spend  another  week  there  and  at  Salt  Lake  City.  I 
made  arrangements  for  two  services  on  the  Sabbath  at  Ogden, 
then  went  over  to  the  "City  of  the  Saints,"  and  spent  my 
time  in  searching  into  the  actual  state  of  affairs.  There  is  evi- 
dently much  discontent  under  the  tyrannous  rule  of  Brigham 
Young.  There  is  a  class  of  disaffected  Mormons  sometimes 
called  Apostates,  under  the  lead  of  Godbe  and  Harrison,  who 
claim  to  be  the  progressive  party;  believe  in  Joseph  Smith,  but 
do  not  renounce  polygamy .  They  have  an  organization  called 
4 ' The  Church  of  Zion . ' '  They  are  bitter  against  Brigham — seem 
to  have  but  little  truth  in  their  system,  and  are  more  nearly 
allied  to  Spiritualists  than  to  orthodoxy.  Then  there  are  the 
*  'Young  Josephites,"  who  renounce  polygamy  and  are  opposed 
to  the  present  ruling  power  in  Utah .  Brigham  seems  to  be  held 
in  check  so  that  he  does  not  bring  his  power  to  bear  to  crush 
these  opposing  forces .  The  Cullom  Bill  that  lies  slumbering  on 
the  tables  at  Washington,  is  thought  to  inspire  him  with  a 
wholesome  fear.  The  opening  of  gold  and  silver  mines  in  Utah, 
contiguous  to  Salt  Lake  Citj'-,  has  a  tendency  to  bring  in  a  Gen- 
tile population  to  a  considerable  extent.  All  these  forces  are 
building  a  strong  bulwark  against  the  inroads  of  Mormonism. 
Besides  this,  the  germs  of  evangelical  influences  are  dis- 
cernible there. 

I  could  discover  but  little  trace  of  the  efforts  put  forth  by 
Rev.  McLeod.  Independence  Hall,  in  which  he  preached,  still 
stands  on  the  lot  which  is  deeded  to  "the  first  church  of  Jesus 


312  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

Christ."  This  might  furnish  a  rallying  point  for  a  faithful 
herald  of  salvation,  who  could  raise  the  standard  of  the  gospel 
in  that  stronghold  of  errors.  The  seeds  of  infidelity  have  been 
sown  broadcast,  and  the  harvest  will  be  gathered.  The  Metho- 
dists have  a  mission  under  the  leadership  of  Rev.  Mr.  Pierce, 
who  is  laboring  courageously  and  hopefully.  There  is  also  an 
Episcopal  church  having  a  minister  in  charge.  They  are 
sustaining  a  school,  which  promises  to  lead  the  minds  of  a  por- 
tion of  the  youth  of  Salt  Lake  City  out  from  the  doctrines  of 
Mormonism,  and  a  Bishop  resides  there,  who  has  the  moun- 
tain region  for  his  charge. 

There  are  no  towns  on  this  line  of  road  of  any  present  or 
prospective  importance  after  leaving  Ogden  till  you  reach 
Evanston.  Bryan  is  the  end,  at  present,  of  a  division,  and 
were  it  to  remain  so, would  be  of  some  importance,  but  Satan  seems 
to  have  supreme  control  at  present.  Rock  Spring,  a  coaling 
station,  is  a  little  village  of  fifteen  or  twenty  houses,  with  good 
coal  mines  near.  I  came  down  to  Rawlings  on  the  14th  of 
June,  remained  till  the  20th,  and  preached  twice  on  the 
Sabbath.  There  is  a  small  Presbyterian  church,  and  they 
have  a  house  of  worship,  but  seem  spiritually  dead.  Most  of 
the  people  are  connected  in  some  way  with  the  railroad. 

Mr.  Gaylord  soon  started  on  his  tour  in  Colorado,  during 
which  the  following  letters  were  written: 

To  R,  E.  Gaylord  : 

Boulder  City.  Colorado,  July  11. — I  suppose  at  this  time 
you  are  busy  in  preparations  for  commencement,  and  that  before 
this  will  reach  Omaha  you  will  be  at  home  once  more.  I  would 
like  to  be  there  vo  meet  you  and  welcome  you  back.  I  dined  at 
Cheyenne  on  Friday,  and  came  down  to  Denver  that  evening. 
About  half  way  to  Denver  is  Greeley,  the  colony  town.  It  is  a 
pleasant  spot  in  the  valley  of  the  Cache  La  Poudre,  which  is  a  beau- 
tiful stream .  A  Ye  reached  Den  ver  about  seven  p.m.,  and  Saturday 
morning  I  took  stage  for  this  place , arriving  about  six  o  'clock .  The 
Boulder  Creeks  are  fine  mountain  streams  running  over  gravelly 
beds.     This  is  a  beautiful  valley,  and  there  are  good  farms  in 


TOURING    IN    THE    MOUNTAINS.  313 

it.  Boulder  is  a  small  village,  right  under  the  brow  of  the 
mountains,  and  our  route  lay  in  sight  of  the  snow-clad  peaks. 
Yesterday  the  new  church  edifice  at  this  place  was  dedicated,  and 
we  had  a  pleasant  time.  The  minister's  name  is  Thompson.  I 
met  him  at  Boston,  when  I  was  there  at  the  National  Council. 
He  is  a  good  man ,  and  doing  a  noble  work .  He  preached  the 
sermon,  and  I  made  the  prayer  of  dedication.  I  shall  go  to 
Empire  and  Georgetown,  and  then  down  to  Denver.  Our  route 
will  be  in  the  mountains,  and  we  go  up  one  hill  five  miles  long. 
At  the  close  of  service  yesterday  I  was  accosted  by  a  man,  who 
came  on  to  the  platform,  and  at  once  recognized  him  as  Mr. 
Perkins  Allen,  who  formerly  lived  at  Fort  Calhoun.  I  am 
going  out  to  spend  the  night  at  his  house.  You  must  take  good 
care  of  your  mother  and  little  sister. 

Georgetown,  July  15. — My  Dear  Wife:  The  route  from 
Boulder  to  Central  is  grand.  We  went  about  five  miles  along 
the  Boulder,  by  the  side  of  the  stream  which,  tumbling  and 
foaming,  is  hastening  to  its  destination.  Then  up  a  hill  very 
steep  for  miles,  then  down  and  up,  then  down  a  steep  hill 
into  Black  Hawk,  among  the  shafts  and  quartz  mills,  then  up 
through  Mountain  City  to  Central.  There  I  met  Bro.  Dickin- 
son, the  minister,  who  is  a  brother  of  Mrs.  O.  F.  Davis. 
Yesterday  I  dined  with  Mr.  Russell's  family  from  Davenport. 
He  has  just  buried  his  wife.  Attended  a  prayer  meeting  Wed- 
nesda}^  night  and  the  next  afternoon  took  a  stage  for  this  place 
over  a  lovely  road  with  much  romantic  scenery .  It  has  1 ,000 
or  1,500  people,  and  is  nestled  among  hills  from  2,000  to  3,000 
feet  high.  It  is  noted  for  its  silver  mines.  I  shall  go  over  to 
Empire  to-morrow,  four  miles  from  here,  spend  the  night  there, 
preach  Sabbath  morning,  and  come  over  here  to  preach  Sabbath 
evening.  Monday  I  go  down  to  Denver.  Our  cause  is  not 
prospering  in  Colorado.  I  suppose  Ralph  is  at  home  before 
this.  I  am  close  to  the  snowy  range,  the  air  is  cool,  and  I  find 
much  to  interest  me  in  this  wild  region. 

Denver,  July  19. — Having  made  my  tour  of  mountain 
churches,  I  am  once  more  in  Denver  to  spend  a  little  time  before 
moving  on  toward  home.     I  went  over  to  Empire  Saturday  and 


314  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

spent  the  night  with  Esq .  Shepard  's  family  from  Burlington ,  Iowa. 
Rode  over  on  horseback  across  a  mountain  ridge  so  steep  that 
I  had  to  hold  on  to  the  horn  of  the  saddle.  Below  us  hundreds 
of  feet  flowed  Clear  Creek.  Empire  is  in  the  valley  surrounded 
by  hills  from  2,000  to  3,000  feet  high.  On  the  tops  of  some  of 
these  hills  are  banks  of  snow  that  have  been  there  for  ages.  It 
was  a  grand  sight.  I  preached  Sabbath  morning  to  a  good  con- 
gregation ,  and  after  dinner  went  back  to  Georgetown  along  the 
trail,  riding  down  where  I  rode  up  the  da}*-  before.  I  held 
service  there  at  night,  and  met  Mr.  Denton,  who  will  send  you 
this  week's  issue  of  his  paper.  I  found  in  the  bank  a  young 
man  from  Ottawa,  Illinois,  who  is  a  member  of  Mr.  Whittlesey's 
church.  Monday  morning  I  took  the  stage  coach  for  Denver, 
and  came  down  here  yesterday,  fifty  miles. 

Shortly  after  this,  Mr.  Gaylord  started  homewards,  feel- 
ing that  he  had  done  what  he  could  towards  fulfilling  the 
commission  "to  prepare  the  way  for  the  occupancy  of  such 
fields  as  demand  the  attention  of  the  Society."  Under  date 
of  August  12  he  writes: 

I  have  finished  my  mission  among  the  grand  old  mountains 
and  returned  in  good  health,  having  traveled  3,750  miles.  I 
spent  two  months  in  this  service  very  pleasantly,  and  I  hope 
profitably.  Now  my  prajrer  is,  "Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me 
to  do  ?  " 

After  his  return  he  tried  to  hold  up  before  the  Society 
the  importance  of  sending  men  without  delay  to  George- 
town, Carbon,  Evanston,  Greely  and  other  places,  but  they 
were  not  sent.  Both  men  and  means  were  wanting  and  it 
was  many  months  before  even  one  was  commissioned  for 
all  this  needy  region,  and  he  said  mournfully,  "  Must  this 
moral  and  spiritual  destitution  still  go  on  because  there  is 
no  one  to  break  unto  the  people  the  bread  of  life?" 

We  close  this  chapter  with  a  few  lines  from  Dr.  Dana  of 
Norwich,  Connecticut,  in  a  Home  Missionary  of  1870: 

There  are  some  duties  which  circumstances  conspire  to 
make  of  immediate  importance.     If  not  attended  to  at  once,  they 


GOSPEL   WORK   SHOULD   HASTEN.  315 

pass  bej'ond  recall  and  leave  us  to  suffer  the  consequences  of 
our  neglect.  Among  such  duties  I  place  the  home  missionary 
work.  This  is  a  work  which  cannot  be  left  to  the  future,  for 
what  that  future  is  to  be,  depends  on  what  is  now  done  for  the 
home  field.  "Five  hundred  years  of  time  in  the  process  of  the 
world's  salvation,"  said  Prof.  Phelps,  "may  depend  on  the  next 
twenty  years  of  United  States  history."  Therefore  it  is  neces- 
sary to  be  in  haste  with  such  an  enterprise  as  this,  for  if  the 
newer  states  and  territories  are  preoccupied  by  scepticism  and 
infidelity,  the  entrance  of  a  pure  Christianity  will  be  longer 
delayed  and  possibly  prevented.  If  we  would  not  see  the  devil 
drive  his  pre-emption  stakes  in  our  frontier  settlements,  we  must 
get  before  him  with  the  institutions  of  religion .  To  leave  entire 
districts  without  a  preacher  is  perilous  in  the  extreme.  We 
ought  not  to  be  content  till  we  know  that  our  missionaries  are 
visiting  every  hamlet,  threading  the  ravines  of  the  Rocky  mount- 
ains, and  stationed  in  the  rising  villages  scattered  along  the 
great  highway  of  inter-oceanic  travel. 


X. 


LIFE'S    LABORS    ENDED 


1870-1880. 


I  have  seen  as  the  years  have  rolled  by, 

Brave  workers  and  strong 
Sowing  seed  for  the  Master  'midst  trouble  and  tears, 

And  suffering  and  wrong 

Where  their  patient  feet  trod; 
Yet  the  seed  grew  apace  'neath  the  direful  rain, 
And  angels  at  harvest  time  gathered  the  grain, 

And  bore  it  with  singing  to  God. 

— Canadian  Missionai~y  Link. 

"Be  strong  and  of  good  courage." 

Let  me  keep  on  still  doing,  and  still  trusting 

Thy  will  always, 
Through  a  long  life  of  true  devotion, 

Or  a  short  day's. 
Thou  canst  not  come  too  soon — and  I  can  wait, 

If  thou  come  late. 

— Selected. 

How  beautiful  it  is  for  man  to  die 
Upon  the  walls  of  Zion!    To  be  call'd 
Like  a  watch-worn  and  weary  sentinel, 
To  put  his  armor  off,  and  rest — in  Heaven! 

— Willis. 

Death  will  invade  us  by  the  means  appointed, 
Nor  am  I  anxious,  if  I  am  prepared, 
What  shape  he  comes  in. 

— Selected^ 

"When  the  fruit  is  ripe  immediately  he  putteth  in  the  sickle." 


CHAPTER  X. 

Closing   Years. 

Work  at  La  Platte,  Irvington,  Papillion  and  Other  Points  —  Dr. 
Badger's  Death  —  Fontanelle  —  Twentieth  Anniversary  of 
Omaha  Church  —  A  Night  Walk  —  Reports  op  Labor  —  A  Lost 
Child —  Removal  to  Fontanelle  —  Gov.  and  Mrs.  Richardson — 
Col.  Kline  —  Omaha  Sunday  School  Anntversary  —  Jalapa  — 
Home  Missionary  Contributions — Death  op  a  Sister  —  A  Visit 
in  Iowa  —  Last  Weeks  —  Fallen  in  His  Armor. 

To  the  Home  Missionary  Society : 

Omaha,  September  28,  1870. — Since  my  return  from  Colo- 
rado I  have  preached  every  Sabbath,  yet  with  no  definite  ar- 
rangements by  which  I  am  so  assured  of  a  support  as  to  relieve 
my  mind  from  anxiety.  I  have  been  requested  to  hold  services 
at  La  Platte,  a  new  town  on  the  Platte  river,  and  find  there 
material  for  a  church,  which  I  hope  to  gather  soon,  and  have 
also  been  solicited  to  establish  a  Second  Congregational  church 
in  the  southern  portion  of  the  city. 

Omaha,  January  5,  1871. — I  have  separate  applications  from 
the  churches  at  La  Platte  and  Irvington,  each  for  one-half  the 
time.  They  are  endorsed,  and  sent  to  Mr.  Merrill  to  be  for- 
warded to  the  Society .  Not  a  day  passes  in  which  the  question , 
what  shall  I  do?  does  not  present  itself  before  me.  I  knew  the 
rule  requiring  a  missionary  to  reside  on  his  field,  but  knew 
also  that  it  had  been  departed  from,  and  could  be  set  aside  when- 
ever the  necessities  of  the  case  required.  Every  person  here, 
acquainted  with  the  facts,  knows  that  it  would  be  impracticable 
for  one  who  has  charge  of  both  churches  to  live  with  either,  as 
all  who  go  from  one  place  to  the  other  must  go  through  Omaha. 
This  is  the  fourth  winter  Mrs.  Gaylord  has  been  afflicted  with 
sciatic  neuralgia ,  and  she  needs  a  comfortable  home  and  medical 
attendance.     You  also  speak  of  my  having  property.     It  is  true 


320  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

that  I  have  some  which  came  to  Mrs.  Gay  lord  and  myself,  bjr 
will,  from  relatives.  Of  this  I  have  spent,  since  coming  to 
Omaha,  thousands  of  dollars,  and  had  I  not  been  compelled  to 
do  this  because  of  insufficient  salary,  could  now  preach  the 
gospel  without  aid  from  the  Society.  Cannot  you  or  Dr.  Coe 
visit  our  state  the  coming  spring?  You  would  understand  much 
better  how  things  really  are,  than  you  possibly  can  at  such  a 
distance. 

February  7. — I  shall  labor  on  under  your  commission,  feel- 
ing that  I  am  doing  the  Lord's  work,  and  trusting  that  in  some 
way  He  will  provide  for  our  need. 

Later : 

I  continue  to  preach  on  alternate  Sabbaths  at  Irvington 
and  La  Platte,  apparently  to  interested  congregations.  At 
Irvington  they  have  raised  a  liberal  subscription  towards 
building  a  house  of  worship.  The  church  is  gaining  in 
strength,  and  will  doubtless  assume  self-support  at  an  earl}- 
day.  I  also  greatly  enjoy  labor  at  La  Platte,  where  I 
find  from  week  to  week  a  growing  desire  for  the  conver- 
sion of  those  who  are  out  of  Christ.  My  attention  was  called 
to  that  place  by  a  former  member  of  our  church  in  Omaha.  I 
found  there  a  few  good  Christian  people  desiring  religious  priv- 
ileges, and  consented  to  give  them  one-half  of  my  time.  "We 
have  organized  a  church,  and  already  see  good  results  to  the 
community.  The  widow  of  Rev.  Lucius  Parker,  one  of  your 
former  missionaries,  is  an  earnest  member  of  that  little  band. 
Besides  exercising  a  pastoral  care  over  the?e  two  flocks,  in 
the  intervals  at  Omaha  I  am  not  idle.  In  the  south  part  of  the 
city  I  am  sustaining  a  weeklv  prayer-meeting,  and  laboring  to 
start  the  germ  of  another  church,  that  may  strike  its  roots  and 
send  out  its  influence  in  this  rapidly  extending  city.  Last  week 
we  organized  there  a  second  Congregational  society  designed  to 
co-operate  with  a  church  to  be  formed  at  some  future  time. 
This  is  foundation  work,  and  I  hope  to  prepare  the  way  for 
some  good  man  to  establish  himself  as  a  co-laborer  with  Mr. 
Sherrill,  pastor  of  the  First  Congregational  church  here,  the 
first  minister  of  our  denomination  installed  in  Nebraska. 


GRATITUDE    FOR    FAVORS.  321 

Mr.  Gaylord  sustained  the  prayer-meeting  in  the  south 
part  of  the  city  nearly  two  years,  and  there  was  a  strong- 
desire  in  the  surrounding  community  for  a  Congregational 
church.  Some  had  given  their  names  for  membership,  and 
everything  was  in  readiness.  Mr.  Merrill,  the  new  superin- 
tendent, with  one  or  two  others,  was  expected  to  assist  in  its 
formation  on  a  particular  day.  But  the  plan  failed  of  being 
carried  out,  greatly  to  Mr.  Gaylord's  sorrow,  who  saw  not 
only  the  wisdom  but  the  necessity  for  such  an  organization. 
It  was  also  a  great  disappointment  to  the  people  in  that 
neighborhood. 

August  3,  1871. — During  this  quarter  I  have  turned  my 
attention  to  Papillion,  a  station  on  the  U.  P.  R.  R.,  fifteen 
miles  from  Omaha,  and  found  a  community  entirely  without 
religious  privileges.  My  first  services  were  held  in  the  depot 
building,  which  I  helped  to  fit  up,  as  no  other  suitable  room 
could  then  be  obtained.  I  have  been  there  regularly  every 
other  Sabbath,  have  had  good  congregations,  and  succeeded  in 
organizing  a  Sabbath  school  which  gives  promise  of  being  well 
attended.  At  present  we  hold  our  meetings  in  a  hall  over  a 
new  store. 

Omaha,  Nebraska,  February  2,  1872. — Miss  H.  A.  Tucker, 
Secretary  Ladies  II.  M.  S.  First  Church,  New  Haven,  Con- 
necticut:  Your  letter,  announcing  the  sending  of  a  box  to  us, 
came  quickly,  and  awakened  a  feeling  of  gratitude  to  our 
Heaven lj'  Father  for  this  new  evidence  of  his  watchful  care,  and 
it  also  seemed  to  us  an  earnest  of  good  for  the  future.  Your 
assurances  of  interest  in  our  work  and  of  Christian  sympathy 
for  us,  were  especially  welcome.  We  were  pained  to  hear  of 
the  illness  of  Mrs.  Lathrop,  but  trust  from  my  own  experience 
she  may  yet  entirely  recover.  I  am  preaching  regularly,  having 
charge  of  two  congregations,  one  of  them  sixteen  miles  from 
the  city.  These  are  new  settlements,  and,  until  I  sought  them 
out,  were  entirely  destitute  of  the  means  of  grace.  At  one 
point  there  is  a  small  church,  and  at  the  other  I  hope  to  gather 
one  shortly.     Your  letter  with  the  money  order  came  very  soon, 

22 


322  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLOED. 

and  then  the  little  box  with  the  beautiful  pin  for  our  daughter. 
Day  before  yesterday  the  box  was  brought  in  and  placed  in  the 
middle  of  the  room.  After  tea  it  was  duly  opened  and  examined 
with  great  thankfulness.  I  shall  leave  Mrs.  Gay  lord  to  speak 
of  the  various  articles  when  she  writes.  Georgia  was  delighted 
with  the  music  and  box  of  sundries .  There  seemed  a  sacredness 
to  me  about  the  music,  knowing  the  source  from  whence  it 
came.  I  have  ever  cherished  a  high  regard  for  President 
Woolsey  since  leaving  the  walls  of  my  Alma  Mater.  Please 
convey  to  him  my  thanks  for  such  a  remembrance  of  me .  I  can 
only  entertain  the  hope  that  my  daughter,  as  she  practices  the 
music,  will  be  preparing  to  join  in  the  heavenly  anthems  around 
the  throne  above.  Please  accept  for  yourself  and  co-laborers  in 
your  noble  society  the  heartfelt  gratitude  of  those  whose  bur- 
dens you  have  helped  to  lighten  in  times  of  trial.  May  you  go 
forward  with  your  good  work,  sharing  largely  in  the  "blessing 
that  maketh  rich  and  addeth  no  sorrow  therewith . ' ' 

Subsequently  Mr.  Gaylord  thus  alludes  to  this  in  a  let- 
ter to  the  Secretaries  of  the  H.  M.  S : 

The  box  sent  by  those  dear  ladies  of  the  First  Church  in 
New  Haven,  proved  indeed  a  blessing  to  our  family.  The  large 
quantity  of  music  once  belonging  to  the  daughters  of  Pres. 
Woolsey,  was  most  valuable  and  acceptable  to  our  daughter, 
and  is  a  touching  memorial  of  those  young  ladies,  who,  I  trust, 
have  long  been  singing  the  music  of  heaven.  A  dress  of  Mrs. 
Lathrop's,  selected  by  herself  a  short  time  before  her  decease, 
and  sent  to  Mrs.  Gaylord,  is  regarded  as  a  sacred  treasure. 

This  box  was  only  one  of  several  valuable  ones  received 
at  different  times  from  the  same  source,  and  from  other 
sources  also.  Memory  goes  back  over  the  lapse  of  many 
years  to  such  gifts,  received  from  Ware,  Massachusetts ;  Dr. 
Goodell's  church,  New  Britian,  Connecticut;  Flushing, 
Long  Island;  Norfolk,  Connecticut;  Dr.  Adams'  and  Dr. 
Taylor's  churches,  New  York ;  Dr.  Storrs'  and  Dr.  Buding- 
ton's,  Brooklyn.  This  last  mentioned,  received  at  Fontanelle, 
early  in  1877,  was  a  most  timely  gift.    The  box  was  accom- 


RETROSPECTION.  323 

panied   with    fifty   dollars  in   money,   and   the   help    and 
comfort  thus  bestowed  will  not  soon  be  forgotten. 

To  the  noble  army  of  self-denying  ladies  in  our  land 
who  have  labored  long,  and  are  still  laboring,  to  fill  home 
missionary  boxes,  we  would  say :  Do  not  grow  weary  or 
discouraged  in  this  good  work,  for  it  is  pre-eminently  a 
good  work.  True,  you  are  not  always  thanked  as  you 
should  be,  but  there  is,  down  deep  in  the  hearts  of  those 
who  receive  such  gifts,  a  fountain  of  gratitude  whose 
depths  cannot  be  sounded.  Go  on,  dear  friends,  and  you 
will  not  fail  in  the  present  life  of  the  blessings  which  come 
from  giving,  and  at  last  the  crowning  reward,  "  Come  ye 
blessed  of  my  Father,"  shall  be  given  you. 

To  the  Society : 

February,  3,  1872. — The  work  I  am  doing  requires  a  large 
measure  of  faith  and  patience.  We  suffer  much  inconvenience 
for  want  of  a  suitable  place  for  meeting  in  cold  weather,  and 
were  it  not  for  the  stagnation  in  business  and  scarcity  of  money 
I  would  feel  like  urging  the  people  to  make  an  effort  to  build 
houses  of  worship. 

May  1 . — A  winter  of  unusual  severity  is  past,  and  the  "sing- 
ing of  birds  has  come . "  In  all  my  experience  I  have  never  known 
so  many  unfavorable  Sabbaths  as  during  the  last  few  months, 
yet  I  have  been  able  to  meet  every  appointment  during  the 
quarter.  Last  Sabbath  I  presented  the  home  missionary  cause 
at  Papillion,  and  sought  to  instruct  my  hearers  in  regard  to  the 
practical  workings  of  the  Society  and  their  duty  to  it. 

Since  my  last  report  I  have  reached  an  interesting  point  in 
life's  journey.  Last  Sabbath,  April  28,  I  was  sixty  years  of 
age,  and  in  looking  back  over  the  way  already  passed,  I  felt 
that  it  had  been  an  eventful  era  in  the  history  of  the  world  and 
especially  of  this  country.  All  the  great  discoveries  and  in- 
ventions' that  have  borne  the  race  forward  in  the  march  of  im- 
provement had  their  origin  during  these  years.  The  introduc- 
tion of  steam  as  a  motive  power,  the  advent  of  railroads  and  the 
electric  telegraph,   with   the  numerous    mechanical   arts,  have 


324  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

made  this  period  of  time  historic.  But  greater  than  all  is  the 
missionary  spirit  that  has  sprung  up  in  the  church,  giving  or- 
ganic life  to  the  great  societies  that  direct  the  religious  activi- 
ties of  the  Christian  world .  Prominent  among  these  stands  the 
American  Home  Missionary  Society,  and  if  her  work  could  be 
faithfully  portrayed  and  the  influence  of  it  upon  the  nation 
clearly  seen,  it  would  be  more  interesting  than  any  romance  ever 
written.  I  entered  the  service  of  this  society  nearly  thirty-four 
years  ago,  in  the  very  beginning  of  the  work  in  the  Territory 
of  Iowa.  The  population  was  then  sparse  compared  with  the 
present.  Since  that  time  many  new  states  have  been  added  to 
the  Union . 

During  the  seventeen  years  of  labor  in  Iowa  and  more  than 
sixteen  in  Nebraska,  there  has  been  a  great  extension  of  the 
Society's  field  of  operations. 

Our  nation  has  been  saved  in  the  fierce  warfare  that  was 
waged  against  its  very  life,  and  this  result  was  due  in  no  small 
degree  to  the  civilizing  influence  of  home  missions  over  the 
population  of  the  new  states.  These  years  of  labor  and 
exposure  on  the  frontier,  in  which  I  have  never  sought  to 
spare  myself,  have  worn  some  upon  my  strong  constitution  and 
vigorous  health.  Yet  here  I  would  "raise  my  Ebenezer,"  and 
praise  God  that  so  much  of.  life  has  been  given  me  in  this  re- 
markable period  of  the  world's  history,  and  that  I  have  still 
strength  for  other  labors  in  the  Master's  vineyard.  Were  I 
young  and  in  the  possession  of  the  knowledge  that  the  experi- 
ence of  life  has  given  me,  I  should  love  to  go  into  the  regions 
beyond,  the  new  territories,  and  seek  to  claim  them  for  Christ. 
We  have  but  one  life  to  live,  and  it  becomes  every  one  to  make 
the  most  of  himself  while  he  does  live.  If  the  past  has  been 
full  of  activity  and  growth,  the  future  is  equally  full  of  hope 
and  promise,  and  it  appeals  to  our  young  men  to  gird  on  the 
armor  and  go  forth  to  the  scene  of  action.  A  great  work  has 
been  done,  but  "there  remaineth  yet  very  much  land  to  be  pos- 
sessed," and  I  hope  your  Society  will  lack  neither  men  nor 
money  to  enable  it  to  seize  the  golden  opportunity  of  making 
this  "Immanuel's  land,  a  habitation  of  righteousness."    I  often 


REWARD    OF    FAITHFUL    LABOR.  325 

think  it  will  be  pleasant  to  look  down  in  the  ages  to  come  from 
Heaven's  heights  and  see  what  is  transpiring  on  this  footstool 
of  the  Almighty. 

Some  months  since  I  received  a  certificate  of  life  membership 
in  the  A.  H.  M.  S.  Please  give  me  the  address  of  the  donor 
who  contributed  the  money,  so  that  I  can  write  to  him. 

In  October  of  this  year  the  General  Association  of  Ne- 
braska held  its  annual  meeting  in  Omaha,  and  the  question 
of  removing  the  college  from  Fontanelle  came  before  the 
body  for  discussion.  After  a  warm  and  lengthy  debate,  a 
majority  of  votes  was  cast  in  favor  of  placing  the  Congre- 
gational College  of  Nebraska  at  Crete.  A  large  bonus  of 
land  and  some  money  had  been  offered,  on  condition  that 
it  be  located  there. 

To  the  A.  II.  M.  S.: 

November  7. — I  have  labored  constantly  to  bear  the  gospel 
to  the  scattered  population  of  my  extended  field  since  the  1st 
of  August,  in  the  assurance  that  I  should  hear  from  the  Society 
in  the  form  of  a  new  commission,  and  while  waiting  to  make 
my  report  it  has  come.  *  *  *  *  Every  other  Sabbath 
I  have  held  services  in  McArdle's  precinct  and  Papillion  the 
same  day .  Have  walked  out  on  Saturday  afternoon  to  the  former 
place,  seven  or  eight  miles,  preached  Sabbath  morning  at  eleven, 
then  walked  to  Papillion,  the  same  distance,  and  preached  at 
two  p.  m.  It  makes  a  laborious  day,  but  I  am  rewarded  by 
seeing  the  interest  that  is  manifested  in  hearing  the  word. 

May  7,  1873. — At  McArdle's  precinct  there  seems  to  be  a 
growing  desire  to  hear  the  truth,  though  not  what  I  wish  to  see. 
If  we  could  persuade  all  professing  Christians  to  come  together 
we  might  make  a  very  hopeful  beginning.  My  health  is  good, 
and  the  providences  of  Cod  have  been  manifested  to  us  so  plainly 
during  this  quarter  as  greatly  to  cheer  and  encourage  us  in  our 
work.  In  February  a  select  company  of  our  citizens  came  to 
our  house  one  evening  and  presented  me  with  about  one  hundred 
dollars  in  money  and  many  usef ul  articles  besides ;  and  in  March 


326  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

we  received  a  valuable  box  of  clothing-  from  the  ladies  of  the 
First  Church,  New  Haven. 

On  the  occasion  of  Dr.  Badger's  death  Mr.  Gaylord 
wrote  to  the  Society : 

I  share  deeply  in  your  sorrow  at  the  death  of  our  beloved 
Dr.  Badger  —  truly  a  bereavement  to  your  Society  and  to 
hundreds  of  home  missionaries  throughout  the  land.  Doubtless 
I  feel  his  loss  more  keenly  than  many  others,  having  for  so 
man}'  years  been  accustomed  to  look  to  him  for  sympathy  and 
counsel  in  nvy  work.  My  first  commission  from  the  Society,  in 
1838,  was  sent  me  by  him,  and  we  once  had  the  pleasure  of 
welcoming  him  to  our  log  cabin  home  in  Iowa.  He  was  a  large 
hearted  man.  Love  to  God  and  man,  love  for  Christ's  cause 
and  for  those  laboring  to  promote  it,  showed  out  so  plainly  in 
him  as  to  inspire  love  in  return,  and  a  confidence  in  all  his 
plans  and  counsels.  When  we  removed  to  Nebraska,  in 
December,  1855,  my  commission  from  the  Society  came  also 
from  him.  It  had  the  true  ring:  "Blow  the  gospel  trumpet 
so  loud  that  all  the  land  can  hear,"  was  the  key-note.  When 
I  heard  that  an  incurable  disease  had  put  an  end  to  his  active 
labors,  I  felt  that  nothing  could  give  me  more  pleasure  than  to 
visit  him  and  converse  about  those  things  which  were  of  common 
interest.  But  he  has  gone  to  his  rest.  May  his  mantle  fall 
upon  those  who  succeed  him  in  office! 

Last  Sabbath,  May  4,  in  the  absence  of  Rev.  Mr.  Sherrill, 
I  preached  by  request  to  our  people  in  Omaha.  Seventeen 
years  ago,  on  the  same  day  of  the  month,  I  organized  the  first 
Congregational  church  of  Nebraska  in  this  city,  with  nine 
members;  and  on  the  Sabbath  following,  the  second  church  at 
Fontanelle,  with  twenty-four  members.  I  improved  the 
late  occasion  to  give  a  brief  history  of  the  church  from  its 
beginning;  to  review  the  wa}T  in  which  the  Lord  our  God  had 
led  us,  noting  some  of  the  changes  time  has  wrought,  and 
urging  faithfulness  to  our  motto,  "Onward  and  upward!  " 

September  1. — Having  learned  that  Mr.  Merrill  has  been 
and  is  still  sick,  and  that  it  is  likely  to  be  weeks  and  perhaps 


CLOUDS   AND   SHADOWS.  327 

months  before  his  health  will  be  restored ,  and  that  some  one  will 
be  needed  to  attend  to  his  duties  temporarily ,  I  write  to  say  that 
if  it  meets  the  approbation  of  the  Society,  I  should  love  to 
undertake  the  labor  anew,  until  such  time  as  Mr.  Merrill  may 
be  able  to  resume  his  work.  Please  give  this  subject  due  con- 
sideration.  and  write  me  your  views.  If  yon  wish  to  supplement 
Mr.  Merrill  in  his  illness,  I  think  you  will  not  consider  it 
unreasonable  that  I  be  allowed  to  bring  my  past  experience  to 
the  work  of  developing  the  religious  resources  of  this  new  and 
growing  state. 

Mr.  Gaylord's  intense  love  for  laying  right  foundations, 
and  his  pain  at  seeing  the  labor  of  his  hands  coming  to 
naught  through  lack  of  some  one  to  carry  it  on,  impelled 
him  to  make  this  offer  to  the  Society. 

Mr.  Merrill  never  entirely  recovered  from  this  illness. 
His  health  was  so  precarious  that  he  was  able  to  accomplish 
but  little  as  superintendent,  and  in  1874  his  labors  closed, 
and  he  was  removed  from  the  scenes  of  earth. 

Mr.  Gaylord  continued  his  work,  and  at  Papillion  had 
made  arrangements  for  organizing  a  church  in  two  weeks, 
or  on  his  next  regular  visit.  But  on  the  intervening  Sab- 
bath Mr.  Robinson,  the  Presbyterian  Home  Missionary 
agent,  came  up  from  Nebraska  City  and  formed  a  Presby- 
terian church.  Mr.  Gaylord  learned  of  the  fact  on  going 
to  his  appointment,  but,  as  nearly  all  the  Christians  there 
were  Congregationalists,  he  organized  a  church  according 
to  the  notice  given.  But  the  field  was  finally  left  to  the 
Presbyterian  brethren,  and  has  been  occupied  ever  since  by 
one  of  their  efficient  churches. 

The  town  of  Fontanelle  had  for  two  or  three  years  exper- 
ienced many  reverses,  which  in  1875  seemed  to  culminate 
in  much  darkness  and  discouragement.  The  institution 
which  they  loved  and  cherished  so  long,  and  for  which  they 
made  many  sacrifices,  had  been  transplanted  to  another 
locality.  Then  three  or  four  grasshopper  years  in  succession 
destroyed  the  means  of  subsistence  of  a  large  proportion  of 


328  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

the  people.  Farms  were  mortgaged,  sickness  visited  some 
families,  and  debts  were  incurred  for  the  bare  necessaries  of 
life.  In  addition  to  these  trials  the  church,  as  winter  came 
on,  found  itself  without  a  pastor.  It  was  at  this  time  that 
Rev.  Mr.  Gates  requested  Mr.  Gaylord  to  go  there  and  look 
after  their  welfare.  Of  that  occasion  and  those  early  days 
he  wrote  years  after : 

A  meeting  of  Christian  people  was  held  April  20,  to  consider 
the  question  of  organization,  and  an  invitation  sent  me  to  come 
up  from  Omaha  and  help  in  this  work.  In  compliance  with 
such  invitation,  I  came  to  Fontanelle  and  met  with  the  friends 
at  2  p.  M.,  on  May  10,  1856.  The  preliminary  steps  were  taken, 
letters  presented,  religious  experiences  related,  and  articles  of 
faith  and  a  church  covenant  agreed  upon.  Twenty-three  per- 
sons gave  their  assent  to  the  articles  of  faith,  entered  into 
covenant,  and  were  constituted  a  church  of  Christ.  The 
building  in  which  we  met  was  a  rude  one.  I  remember' the 
sunlight  streaming  in  on  me  while  preaching,  and  also  my 
beholding  through  openings  on  the  side  the  peering  gaze  of 
several  Indians,  who  were  greatly  interested  in  watching  the 
proceedings.  The  first  year  Rev.  Samuel  Waller  preached  for 
them,  and  during  a  part  of  1867  a  sermon  was  read  on  the 
Sabbath.  Those  early  days  were  times  of  religious  interest. 
Hopeful  conversions  occurred  and  additions  were  made  to  the 
church. 

The  attachment  formed  thus  early  was  mutual,  and  Mr. 
Gaylord's  coming  among  them  was  most  cordially  wel- 
comed. He  commenced  preaching  regularly  in  Fontanelle 
in  the  winter  of  1875-6.  Returning  one  Saturday  from  a 
visit  to  Omaha,  the  train  was  late  in  reaching  Fremont. 
The  one  going  up  the  Elkhorn  valley  could  wait  no  longer 
and  had  gone  on  its  way.  Anxious  to  be  at  his  post  the 
next  day,  he  started  out  to  walk  the  ten  miles.  It  was  a 
cold,  cloudy  and  dismal  winter  day.  The  short  afternoon 
was  soon  gone  and  darkness,  so  thick  it  could  almost  be 
felt,  settled  down  over  the  lonely  pathway.     The  Elkhorn 


A   LONELY  WALK.  329 

river  must  be  crossed,  but  the  long  bridge  could  nowhere 
be  seen.  Feeling  the  way  with  his  cane,  he  found  himself 
on  the  ice  which  bordered  the  stream.  But  he  succeeded  in 
retracing  his  eteps  and  at  last  was  aware  that  his  feet  were 
upon  the  bridge,  which  he  crossed  in  safety.  The  road  now 
followed  the  tortuous  and  winding  Eikhorn,  sometimes 
very  near  the  steep  bank  of  the  river,  and  again  leading 
off  through  the  midst  of  trees  and  underbrush,  which 
grew  in  all  their  native  wildness,  and  made  the  darkness 
blacker.  Emerging  from  one  of  these  thickets,  a  bright 
light  appeared  in  the  distance,  affording  a  joyful  relief,  as 
he  knew  it  to  be  in  the  home  of  Mr.  Peters,  one  of  the  mem- 
bers of  his  beloved  flock.  Keeping  his  eye  fixed  upon  this 
light,  it  was  not  long  before  he  reached  the  place,  where  he 
was  cheered  by  a  hearty  welcome  from  the  family,  and 
found  warmth,  food  and  a  comfortable  resting  place  for  the 
night.  He  afterward  made  use  of  this  experience  to  illus- 
trate some  important  truths,  and  enforce  them  upon  his 
hearers. 

In  May,  1876,  Mr.  Gay  lord  was  called  to  preach  a 
memorial  sermon  on  the  twentieth  anniversary  of  the  Con- 
gregational church  of  Omaha.  This  discourse  was  asked 
for  publication  and  printed  entire  in  one  of  the  daily  papers. 
It  is  given  in  the  latter  part  of  the  book.  The  history  of 
his  four  years'  residence  in  Fontanelle  we  give  in  his  own 
words  from  letters  and  reports  to  the  Society. 

Fontanelle,  June  29,  1876. — I  thankfully  acknowledge  the 
receipt  of  yonr  letter  with  its  words  of  cheer,  and  the  commis- 
sion of  the  A.  H.  M.  8.  to  labor  in  Fontanelle  for  twelve 
months  from  January  29.  I  came  here  by  direction  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Gates,  your  superintendent,  on  the  eleventh  of  December, 
1875,  and  held  service  with  this  church  and  people.  They  at 
once  seemed  pleased,  and  united  in  the  desire  to  have  me  come 
among  them  as  their  minister.  I  accordingly  spent  every  other 
Sabbath  here,  preaching  twice,  attending  Sabbath  school,  and 
visiting  what  1  could,  until  their  application  was  refused.     Then 


330  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

for  three  or  four  weeks  I  did  not  come,  but  since  receiving  your 
commission  I  have  resumed  my  labors,  very  much  to  the  joy  of 
the  people.  I  will  do  my  best  to  find  a  place  to  live  among 
them,  and  give  my  undivided  attention  to  their  spiritual  wel- 
fare, in  confident  expectation  of  seeing  such  results  as  will  rejoice 
our  hearts.  There  has  been  from  the  first  a  growing  interest 
and  an  increasing  attendance,  and  the  whole  field  is  now  fully 
open  to  us.  The  Methodists  have  removed  their  house  of  wor- 
ship to  Belle  Creek,  and  the  Lutherans  have  no  minister  at 
present.  My  interest  is  enlisted  for  a  large  class  of  young  people 
just  coming  upon  the  stage  of  active  life,  and  I  trust  that  they 
may  be  saved .  This  church  has  recently  lost  one  of  its  valuable 
members  by  death.  After  a  lingering  illness  the  mother  of  nine 
children  has  been  called  home,  leaving  a  heart-broken  husband 
to  mourning  and  grief.  In  the  early  spring  a  man  was  engaged 
in  sinking  a  well  to  the  depth  of  eighty  feet,  and  while  being 
drawn  up  fell  from  near  the  top,  breaking  his  bones  in  a  shock- 
ing manner.  Yet  he  was  taken  out  alive,  and,  to  the  wonder 
of  all  is  now  walking  about,  though  much  crippled.  Both 
these  cases  have  appealed  strongly  to  the  sympathy  and  charitable 
aid  of  the  people. 

August  14. — During  this  second  quarter  I  have  visited 
nearly  every  family  of  my  congregation,  making  myself 
acquainted  with  their  circumstances,  trials  and  difficulties.  Have 
held  two  services  on  the  Sabbath  and  attended  Sabbath  school 
between,  usually  instructing  a  class.  Attendance  upon  all 
religious  meeting  is  increasing,  and  I  regard  the  aspect  of  the 
field  as  on  the  whole  encouraging.  There  appears  to  be  thought- 
fulness  among  the  young  people,  and  some  individuals  who  have 
been  alienated  and  have  not  attended  meetings  for  a  long  time, 
now  come  constantly  and  manifest  new  interest.  There  is  more 
or  less  skepticism  and  latent  infidelity  in  the  community,  but  if 
the  truth  be  held  up  and  carried  home  by  the  spirit  of  God, 
this  will  disappear  as  darkness  before  the  light. 

Although  it  was  some  weeks  before  a  place  could  be  found 
for  his  family  at  Fontanelle,  Mr.  Gay  lord  spent  most  of  his 


VISITING    AMONG    THE    PEOPLE.  331 

time  there,  and  his  letters  home  give  interesting  glimpses 
of  his  work: 

July  11 . — I  preached  twice  on  the  Sabbath,  attended  Sunday 
school  and  assisted  Mr.  Bisbee  in  a  funeral  in  the  afternoon.  A 
little  child  had  died  about  five  miles  out,  and  they  brought  it 
to  the  school  house  for  the  funeral.  To-night  I  have  a  meeting 
of  the  young  people,  and  Thursday  evening  we  hold  a  prepara- 
tory meeting. 

July  13. — Yesterday  I  went  out  to  call  on  the  family  that 
lost  the  child.  Found  three  brothers,  two  of  them  married,  and 
the  wives  are  professing  Christians.  I  spent  last  night  at  Mrs. 
Kline's.  To-day  I  took  dinner  with  Deacon  Gaylord,  and  am 
now  writing  in  Bro.  Bisbee 's  study.  It  seems  important,  if  I 
am  to  accomplish  anything  here,  that  we  should  be  on  the 
ground.     I  do  hope  the  Lord  will  make  duty  plain. 

September  2. — When  I  came  here  yesterday  Mrs.  Kline 
urged  me  to  stay  all  night,  and  I  am  now  writing  in  her  dining 
room.  Uncle  G.  handed  me  five  dollars  Thursday  evening, 
which  came  from  Mr.  E.  S.  Gaylord. 

September  5. — Yesterday  I  went  again  to  Mrs.  Kline's, 
where  I  was  to  meet  the  leading  members  for  consultation  in 
the  evening.  It  looked  so  much  like  a  shower  that  I  did  not 
expect  to  see  any  one,  but  Mr.  Gaylord,  Mr.  Corliss  and  Mr. 
Ar buckle  came.  You  know,  my  dear  wife,  how  much  I  long 
to  preach  the  gospel  while  I  live.  God  seems  to  have  given  me 
the  hearts  of  this  people  and  the  ability  to  do  them  good .  Truly 
they  are  very  near  my  heart  and  I  do  desire  their  salvation. 
I  have  appointed  a  meeting  this  evening  for  conference  and 
prayer .  Now  I  want  you  to  say  whether  you  will  encourage  the 
people  here  to  expect  we  will  stay  with  them  after  this  year 
expires.  We  are  in  the  hands  of  a  loving  Father,  and  I  long 
to  see  a  rift  in  the  clouds,  so  that  the  clear  light  of  His  love 
may  shine  through.  I  believe  it  will  come  at  length,  and  my 
desire  is  that  it  may  not  tarry. 

Wednesday   Morning,   6:30. — We   had   our   meeting,   and 


332  •  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

some  wanted   to  have    one   every   evening  this  week,  but  the 
political  excitement  has  begun. 

September  22. — We  had  a  good  prayer-meeting  last  night 
and  fair  attendance.  The  two  Baldwin  girls  were  received  as 
candidates  for  admission  to  the  church  at  the  next  communion. 
It  seemed  pleasant  to  be  with  this  people  again,  and  I  found 
my  heart  kindled  with  a  deep  feeling  of  desire  for  their  spiritual 
welfare .  I  wish  you  could  be  ready  to  come  up  with  me  next 
time. 

In  the  summer  of  1876  Mr.  Gaylord  was  boarding  at 
Mr.  Achilles',  and  in  a  house  not  far  away  a  little  boy  of 
two  years  slipped  down  from  his  high  chair  after  dinner, 
toddled  out  of  the  house  and  wandered  away.  The  mother 
soon  missed  him  and  a  search  was  commenced,  but  lie 
could  not  be  found.  The  well  was  drawn  dry  in  vain,  and 
the  search  was  continued  the  rest  of  the  day  and  through 
the  night.  The  following  morning  bands  of  men  and 
women,  young  and  old,  formed  circles  and  commenced  a 
systematic  examination  of  the  prairie,  far  and  near,  explor- 
ing apparently  every  foot  of  ground,  but  they  were  doomed 
to  disappointment.  For  weeks  after  the  search  had  been 
given  up,  the  mother  wandered  about  every  day,  hoping  to 
find  some  trace  of  the  little  one,  if  it  were  only  a  shred  of 
its  torn  dress.  Some  Indians  of  the  Omaha  tribe,  who  had 
passed  in  a  wagon  about  that  time,  were  followed,  but  there 
was  no  evidence  that  they  had  captured  it,  and  not  the 
slightest  trace  of  the  stray  lamb  wras  ever  discovered.  It 
was  a  time  of  the  year  when  the  prairie  wolves  were  caring 
for  their  young.  The}'  do  not  often  attack  children,  yet 
being  more  ravenous  than  usual,  and  finding  the  little  one 
alone,  perhaps  asleep,  it  is  supposed  they  carried  it  off  and 
devoured  it.  A  year  afterward  the  family  had  moved  to  a 
distant  neighborhood,  and  a  babe  of  ten  months  lay  dead 
in  the  house.  One  Saturday  a  call  came  for  Mr.  Gaylord  to 
go  and  attend  the  funeral.     It  was  five  miles  away,  and  as 


REMOVAL    TO    FONTANELLE GOV.    KICHARDSON.        333 

he  had  no  horse  at  that  time,  a  Lutheran  minister  kindly 
offered  to  carry  him  to  the  place.     Mr.  Gaylord  says: 

I  repaired  to  the  house  of  sorrow,  and  there  found  a  beauti- 
ful child  prepared  by  kind  neighbors  for  its  burial.  The 
weeping  mother  said:  4tI  know  what  caused  the  death  of  this 
dear  one,  and  we  were  permitted  to  watch  over  it  and  to  close 
its  eyes  with  our  own  hands.  But  of  the  lost  one  I  know  noth- 
ing, and  never  will  in  this  world."  There  were  only  a  few  in 
attendance  at  the  house,  but  the  grave  had  been  prepared.  We 
carried  the  little  coffin  to  the  lonely  cemetery  in  our  buggy, 
and  assisted  in  lowering  it  to  its  last  resting  place. 

To  the  Societj'  : 

Fontanelle,  October  31. — Have  preached  twice  every  Sab- 
bath except  one,  which  I  spent  in  Omaha  while  we  were  pre- 
paring for  removal  to  this  place.  It  was  no  small  undertaking 
to  go  through  the  labor  and  expense  of  breaking  up  a  home 
among  a  people  to  whom  we  had  become  attached  by  a  residence 
of  twent}-  years.  I  am  conscious  of  a  growing  love  for  my 
work  and  for  the  people,  and  earnestly  hope  and  pray  for  the 
reviving  hour.  In  the  middle  of  August  swarms  of  grass- 
hoppers came  down  again  upon  this  region,  literally  covering 
everything,  devouring  the  gardens,  and  greatly  injuring  the 
growing  corn.  At  the  same  time  the  country  was  visited  with 
heavy  showers  of  rain,  accompanied  by  terrific  thunder  and 
lightning.  Our  communion  on  the  first  Sabbath  of  this  month 
was  a  season  of  special  interest.  Two  young  ladies,  daughters 
of  a  deceased  member  of  this  church,  publicly  professed  their 
faith  in  Christ  and  were  baptized.  At  the  same  time  the  father 
brought  five  more  of  his  motherless  children  and  presented  them 
to  God  in  baptism . 

Fontanelle,  December,  1876. — Gov.  O.  D.  Richardson,  one 
of  Omaha's  prominent  citizens,  died  in  that  city  on  the  29th  of 
November,  and  in  response  to  a  letter  written  to  us  on  the 
evening  of  his  death,  Mrs.  Gaylord  and  myself  went  down  to 
be  present  at  his  funeral.  We  reached  there  on  Friday  evening, 
to  find  Mrs.  Richardson  also  fast  sinking  in  the  arms  of  death. 
We  stood  by  her  bedside  on  Saturday  to  see  her  calmly  and 


33-i  LIFE   OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

peacefully  yield  up  her  life,  so  soon  to  follow  her  beloved  hus- 
band, with  whom  she  had  lived  nearly  fifty  years.  Both  were 
buried  in  one  grave  on  Monday.  "Lovely  and  pleasant  in  their 
lives,  in  their  death  they  were  not  divided."  They  have  ever 
been  our  warm  friends,  and  I  was  glad  to  have  the  mournful 
privilege  of  participating  in  the  funeral  services.  The  elegant 
caskets  la}'  side  by  side,  covered  with  choice  flowers,  and  on  the 
center  of  each  was  a  bouquet  formed  from  heads  of  ripe  wheat. 
A  very  large  concourse  of  mourning  friends  and  citizens  fol- 
lowed the  remains  to  the  burial  place  on  Prospect  Hill. 

Gov.  Richardson  first  breathed  the  air  of  heaven  in  the 
Green  Mountain  state.  At  the  age  of  thirty-two  he  settled  in 
Pontiac,  Michigan,  where  he  practiced  law  for  twenty-five 
years.  He  was  an  able  and  successful  lawyer  and  was  for  four 
years  lieutenant-governor  of  that  state.  In  September,  1854, 
he  came  to  Omaha,  without  his  family,  and  opened  a  law  office 
in  the  old  State  House  on  Ninth  street.  In  the  office  with  him 
was  Mr.  Poppleton,  a  young  lawyer  of  superior  abilities,  who 
came  to  Omaha  from  Detroit  at  nearly  the  same  time.  The  two 
were  afterwards  appointed  to  prepare  a  system  of  laws  for 
Nebraska  territory.  I  first  met  Gov.  Richardson  in  September, 
1855.  At  that  interview  he  invited  me  to  preach  on  the  next 
Sabbath,  then  made  arrangements  for  a  meeting,  and  himself 
circulated  the  appointment.  He  was  an  intelligent  Congrega- 
tionalist,  and  desired  to  see  the  gospel  standard  raised  in  this, 
then  frontier  town.  That  first  meeting  was  the  germ  of  the 
Congregational  church  in  Omaha,  which  has  since  become  the 
mother  of  churches  in  Nebraska.  Gov.  Richardson  was  a  ready 
and  wise  counsellor  in  church  organization  and  church  building, 
which  occupied  our  attention  during  the  next  year.  He  took 
great  interest  in  all  that  concerned  the  welfare  of  the  church, 
and  ever  proved  one  of  its  pillars — was  constant  in  attendance 
upon  Sabbath  worship  and  the  prayer-meeting,  and  was  a  man 
around  whom  others  loved  to  gather.  He  had  by  nature  a 
happy  disposition,  and  took  the  cares  and  burdens  of  life  easily 
because  inclined  to  look  on  the  bright  side.  To  one  who  knew 
him  as  intimately  as  I  did,  for  I  believe  few  had  a  better  acquaint- 


MRS.    RICHARDSON  —  PRAYER    MEETINGS.  OOO 

ance  with  his  inner  life,  he  showed  that  underneath  all  was  a 
solid  foundation,  based  on  love  to  God  and  man, and  that  Christ 
was  the  Master  he  was  trying  to  serve.  His  was  a  green  and 
happy  old  age.  I  feel  that  I  am  one  of  the  mourners,  for  I  have 
lost  in  him  and  his  most  estimable  wife  true  and  tried  friends. 

Of  Mrs.  Richardson  it  might  truly  be  written,  "O  woman 
greatly  beloved!"  In  her  the  noble  virtues  and  sweet  charities 
of  life  combined  to  form  an  almost  perfect  character.  Her 
helping  hands  and  words  of  sympathy  were  gladly  extended  to 
those  in  need,  and  thankfully  received.  She  loved  the  house 
of  God,  the  weekly  prayer-meeting,  and  in  the  ladies'  meeting 
for  prayer,  her  tender  supplications  and  timely  words  were 
greatly  prized.  Some  of  her  last  days  were  spent  in  loving 
counsel  and  needed  help  to  a  lad}r  friend,  who  was  bearing  the 
burden  of  a  serious  domestic  trouble. 

To  the  Society: 

Fontanelle,  January  30,  1877. — I  feel  especially  grateful 
to  my  Heavenly  Father  for  granting  me  the  privilege  of  preach- 
ing the  gospel  another  year.  On  each  returning  Sabbath  I  have 
met  the  people  in  their  usual  place  of  worship,  and  can  truly 
say  that  the  last  quarter  has  been  the  most  interesting  one  of 
the  year.  The  attendance  was  uniformly  good  morning  and 
evening,  and  prayer  meetings  better  attended  than  formerly. 
My  labors  for  the  quarter  have  been,  preaching  twice  on  the 
Sabbath,  teaching  an  adult  class  in  Sabbath  school,  attending 
prayer  meeting,  and  in  all  ways  that  promised  good,  endeavor- 
ing to  advance  the  cause  of  the  Master .  We  observed  the  week 
of  prayer  with  much  interest,  and  hoped  to  continue,  but  a 
severe  snow  storm  prevented.  Of  late  some  persons  have  come 
to  our  meetings  from  a  distance  of  five  or  six  miles  the  other 
side  of  the  Elkhorn  river,  and  expressed  a  desire  to  have  preach- 
ing in  their  neighborhood.  I  went  over  last  Sabbath,  held 
service  at  two  p.  w.,  and  returned  in  time  for  meeting  at  night. 
In  reviewing  the  work  of  the  year  I  can  see  a  decided  improve- 
ment. There  is  no  saloon  here,  nor  any  place  where  liquor  is 
sold.  If  this  business  should  be  attempted  it  would  be  frowned 
down  by  the  better  portion  of  the  community. 


336  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

February  7. — This  church  has  kept  up  the  Sabbath  school 
for  more  than  twenty  years,  whether  the}'  have  had  a  minister 
or  not.  I  have  commenced  preaching  at  a  point  six  miles  from 
here  on  the  west  side  of  the  Elkhorn  river,  but  have  not  thought 
best  to  ask  them  for  a  subscription  at  first.  Let  them  become 
interested  and  they  will  feel  their  obligation.  The  salary  pro- 
posed in  the  application  is  very  small,  not  enough  to  pay  our 
board  and  that  of  our  daughter,  who  is  in  Colorado  for  her 
health.  She  has  been  exerting  herself  to  pay  her  own  board, 
but  broke  down  entirely,  and  can  do  it  no  longer. 

On  the  ninth  of  November  I  attended  a  council  at  Maplc- 
ville,  Dodge  county,  where  we  organized  a  church  of  seven 
members,  and  in  the  evening  preached  at  Jalapa  and  received 
six  new  members  into  that  church,  thus  giving  them  fresh  hope 
and  courage. 

Fontanelle,  April  30. — Near  the  middle  of  February  I  pro- 
posed to  the  church  to  commence  a  series  of  meetings.  To  this 
they  agreed ,  and  I  began  on  the  19th  and  held  service  every 
night  for  ten  days.  Then  Rev.  Mr.  Spencer,  of  Irvington, 
came  by  invitation  and  assisted  twelve  da}rs,  including  two 
Sabbaths.  The  attendance  was  good  and  much  interest  was 
manifested.  After  the  close  of  the  meeting  nine  persons,  all  of 
them  adults,  and  four  of  them  heads  of  families,  offered  them- 
selves for  membership  with  us  and  were  received  into  the 
church.  Three  of  these  were  baptized  by  immersion.  We 
continued  the  meetings,  as  seemed  needful,  after  Mr.  Spencer 
left.  I  feel  thankful  for  so  much  of  good  done,  and  earnestly 
desire  a  still  deeper  work  that  will  sweep  away  the  influence  of 
infidelity  which  has  been  secretty  working  in  the  minds  of  some 
of  our  youth.  Among  the  mercies  of  this  quarter  was  the  box 
of  clothing  and  money  from  the  Clinton  Avenue  Church, 
Brooklyn,  which  seemed  to  say,  "Jehovah  Jireh."  I  have  had 
a  final  settlement  with  this  people,  and  it  gives  me  pleasure  to 
assure  you  that  they  have  redeemed  their  pledges  made  at  the 
commencement  of  nry  labors  among  them,  and  the  way  is  now 
open  for  you  to  send  on  my  commission. 

July  30. — In  June  I  took  a  little  vacation,  the  onby  time  for 


COLORADO    SPRINGS TRIBUTE  TO    COL.    KLINE.  337 

years  when  I  have  indulged  in  such  a  luxury .  Our  adopted 
daughter,  Georgia,  so  pined  for  a  sight  of  the  loved  ones,  that 
-we  decided  to  take  a  journey  to  Colorado  to  visit  her  and  see 
the  country.  Mrs.  Gay  lord  was  favored  with  a  pass  to  go  and 
return  from  Omaha  to  Cheyenne,  and  both  of  us  had  half  fare 
to  Denver:  From  there  to  Colorado  Springs,  D.  H.  Moffatt, 
Esq.,  kindly  gave  us  passes.  We  saw  much  of  the  mountain 
scenery,  and  were  delighted  with  Colorado  Springs  and  its  sur- 
roundings. I  made  arrangements  for  the  supply  of  my  people 
for  the  three  Sabbaths  of  my  absence.  Since  my  return  I  have 
kept  up  the  regular  services.  A  plentiful  harvest  is  being 
gathered,  and  prospects  for  corn  are  good,  if  the  flying  grass- 
hoppers which  are  passing  every  day,  do  not  light  down  upon 
it. 

It  was  on  the  morning. of  July  25,  1877,  that  Col.  Kline, 
one  of  our  well  beloved  and  highly  respected  citizens,  left 
home  to  go  to  his  timber  for  a  load  of  wood.  On  returning, 
while  descending  a  long,  steep  hill,  the  front  board  of  the 
wagon  fell  out,  letting  the  wood,  on  which  Mr.  Kline  was 
sitting,  slip  forward  on  to  the  horses.  They  commenced 
kicking,  and  Mr.  K.  was  thrown  under  the  wheels.  Unable 
to  extricate  himself,  he  was  soon  fatally  injured.  The 
horses,  after  freeing  themselves,  rushed  on  towards  home, 
and  Mr.  Carpenter,  a  neighbor,  seeing  them  without  their 
owner,  hastened  to  look  for  him.  He  had  succeeded  in 
reaching  a  clump  of  bushes  by  the  roadside,  where,  sheltered 
from  the  hot  sun,  he  was  found  badly  wounded  and  faint 
from  loss  of  blood.  Tender  and  careful  hands  soon  con- 
veyed him  to  his  home.  He  lingered  two  hours,  perfectly 
conscious  and  able  to  give  directions  as  to  his  business  and 
the  disposal  of  his  property.  Then,  after  bidding  farewell 
to  his  heart-broken  wife,  who  was  able  to  maintain  her 
composure  to  the  last,  he  closed  his  eyes  in  death,  in  the 
midst  of  weeping  and  loving  friends,  who  stood  around  his 
bedside.  Mr.  Kline  was  not  a  member  of  the  church,  but' 
in  close  sympathy  with  it,  and  a  helper  in  supporting  the 

23 


338  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

gospel.  His  life  had  been  full  of  kind  words  and  deeds  to 
those  who  were  in  straightened  circumstances,  or  in  trouble 
of  any  kind,  and  he  is  greatly  missed  in  all  the  walks  of  life. 
His  funeral  was  attended  by  all  the  people,  many  coming 
from  a  distance  of  four  or  five  miles. 

Fontanelle,  October  30. — We  take  the  first  Sabbath  even- 
ing in  the  month  for  a  missionary  meeting,  in  which  by  com- 
municating missionary  intelligence,  I  labor  to  awaken  in  the 
minds  of  the  people  an  interest  in  both  the  home  and  foreign 
field.  The  past  summer  has  been  so  marked  as  to  show  very 
clearly  God's  providential  care  of  the  people  of  this  state.  They 
have  had  the  joy  of  a  bountiful  harvest,  and  this  has  lightened 
their  burdens.  Even  a  partial  failure  this  year  would  have 
proved  the  ruin  of  some  of  our  feeble  churches,  and  this  one 
among  others.  The  character  of  the  last  few  3*  ears  as  to  crops, 
has  brought  upon  many  a  burden  of  debt  almost  too  heavy  to 
bear.  The}'  are  relieved  in  a  measure,  but  it  will  take  two  or 
three  more  years  like  this  to  set  all  right.  My  heart  is  pained 
when  I  enter  the  homes  of  some  of  my  parishioners,  and  I  almost 
feel  as  if  I  ought  to  give  to  them  rather  than  receive  from  them. 
Farms  mortgaged,  taxes  unpaid,  poorly  clothed  and  poorly  fed, 
they  know  what  want  is .  But  they  wish  the  gospel  and  earnestly 
desire  me  to  stay  with  them  another  year  after  January  29. 
They  are  now  making  the  subscription,  but  will  not  be  able  to 
advance  much,  if  any,  upon  the  pledges  of  last  year.  Have 
tried  to  wait  patiently  for  a  draft  for  my  last  quarter,  ending 
June  29,  and  hope  my  turn  will  come  soon.  We  have  expenses 
that  must  be  met,  and  I  feel  that  a  minister  should  guard  his 
credit  with  special  care  lest  his  influence  suffer. 

One  week  ago  last  Sabbath  I  spent  at  Omaha,  by  special 
request,  to  attend  the  twenty-first  anniversary  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Congregational  Sabbath  school.  The  church  in  the 
evening  was  filled  with  a  deeply  interested  audience. 

Some  extracts  will  be  given  from  Mr.  Gaylord's  address 
at  that  time,  which  we  find  in  condensed  manuscript  form 
among  his  papers.     He  says: 


ANNIVERSARY  OF   OMAHA    SABBATH   SCHOOL,  339 

The  first  lines  of  religious  influence  in  this  city  were  drawn 
out  in  the  old  State  House,  a  brick  building  on  Ninth  street, 
between  Farnam  and  Douglas.  If  you  look  for  it,  it  is  not  there. 
In  the  upper  story  of  that  building,  in  the  northwest  room,  a 
union  Sabbath  school  was  commenced  early  in  1856,  with  B.  H. 
Chapman  as  superintendent.  Let  us  now  spend  a  few  moments 
in  looking  backward  to  a  hill  town  in  Connecticut,  where 
sixty  years  ago  a  son  was  born  and  nurtured  in  a  Christian  home. 
A  mother's  instruction  and  prayers  gave  direction  to  his  open- 
ing powers,  and  led  to  an  early  consecration  to  God.  That  son 
went  to  college,  and  in  due  time  entered  the  ministry  and  be- 
came a  home  missionary.  After  spending  many  years  in  Iowa 
laying  foundations,  he  came  to  Omaha  in  1855.  After  the 
union  Sabbath  school  was  formed,  that  mother  referred  to,  whose 
son  had  a  leading  part  in  the  work,  sent  some  books,  which  were 
the  beginning  of  our  Sabbath  school  library. 

When  the  old  State  House  was  sold  in  the  spring  of 
1856,  Mrs.  Mills,  of  the  Douglas  House,  invited  the  ministers 
to  hold  service  in  the  dining-room  of  their  hotel,  where 
we  dealt  out  spiritual  food  to  those  who  resorted  thither. 
Subsequently  a  portion  of  the  school  was  transferred  to  my 
residence,  on  Jackson  street,  and  held  on  Sabbath  afternoons. 
My  daughter,  Mrs.  Brewster,  says  of  those  days:  "I  can 
tell  who  was  superintendent,  leader  of  the  singing,  and 
teacher,  for  I  had  no  one  to  help  me  in  the  least.  Dur- 
ing that  summer  my  mother  lay  very  ill  for  a  long  time 
with  typhoid  fever  in  the  next  room.  When  it  was  proposed 
to  give  up  the  school,  lest  it  should  disturb  her,  she  said,  '  No; 
let  them  come,'  and  the  parlor  was  often  nearly  full."  But 
during  the  summer  of  1856  we  began  to  build  the  brick  church 
on  the  corner  of  Sixteenth  and  Farnam  streets,  and  on  the  26th 
of  October  we  held  service  in  the  basement  and  organized  a 
Congregational  Sabbath  school,  with  Bro.  J.  H.  Kellom  as  the 
first  superintendent.  Those  were  the  days  of  small  things. 
Mrs.  Brewster  says,  "When  there  was  no  one  else,  I  had  to  lead 
the  singing,  and  did  as  well  as  I  knew  how."     Afterward  Mr. 


340  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

Ludclin  took  charge  of  it,  and  was  very  efficient.     I  remember 
a  New  Years  festival  when  the  children  sang: 

We  wish  our  pastor  a  happy  New  Year. 
We  wish  our  teachers  a  happy  New  Year. 
We  wish  our  parents  a  happy  New  Year. 
And, 

Oh,  do  not  be  discouraged,  for  Jesus  is  your  friend. 
Also, 

We'll  gird  on  the  armor  and  be  marching  along. 

That  was  a  happy  gathering,  but  the  night  was  so  cold  we 
feared  the  children  would  freeze  before  they  reached  home. 
There  was  some  cold  weather  that  winter.  Our  helpers  then 
were  few — our  resources  small.  Yet  those  of  us  who  live  to 
see  this  day,  rejoice  in  the  evidence  that  our  labors  were  not  in 
vain.  Now  what  do  we  see?  A  large  and  flourishing  school  of 
two  hundred  and  twenty  scholars,  well  officered  and  furnished 
with  all  needful  Sunday  school  implements,  able  to  do  efficient 
work — gathering  volume  from  year  to  year,  and  sending  out 
its  influence  far  and  wide.  We  have  abundant  reason  to  bless 
God  that  this  school,  begun  in  great  weakness  in  1856,  has  held 
on  its  way  with  such  a  measure  of  prosperity,  and  that  so  many 
of  those  early  workers  are  permitted  to  unite  in  this  anniver- 
sary, and  to  meet  with  a  host  of  others  who  have  since  joined 
this  Sabbath  school  army  to  march  forward  with  growing 
strength  in  this  glorious  cause. 

While  standing  here  I  recall  one  who  was  a  member  of  this 
church,  known  and  loved  b}T  many  of  you,  and  who  took  a 
lively  interest  in  our  prosperity.  She  sustained  a  Sabbath 
school  in  her  later  home  in  La  Platte  for  a  long  time.  I  refer  to 
Mrs.  Phoebe  Hogoboom,  whose  death  a  short  time  since  was 
caused  by  an  act  of  kindness.  While  caring  for  a  grandchild 
one  evening  shed  ropped  a  lamp,  which  at  once  set  fire  to  the 
bed  on  which  the  little  one  was  sleeping.  In  saving  the  child,  her 
own  clothes  were  so  burned  as  to  cause  her  death  in  a  few 
hours. 

One    year    later  Mr.   Gaylord,   in    giving    some    remi- 


CONTRIBUTIONS    FOR   HOME   MISSIONS.  341 

niscences  at  a  meeting  of  Association,  said :  "  This 
school,  which  began  its  existence  as  a  feeble  band,  still 
lives,  and  now,  under  the  superintendency  of  its  efficient 
leader,  Mr.  George  W.  Hall,  is  a  power  for  good." 

December  20. — Since  preaching  my  home  missionary  sermon 
I  have  been  around  my  parish  soliciting  personal  contributions 
from  each  one,  and  have  succeeded  in  raising  a  larger  amount 
than  last  year.  I  think  the  people  have  done  well,  and  if  you 
knew  their  circumstances  you  would  fully  agree  with  me.  The 
whole  amount  pledged  is  $28.70.  At  one  house  a  lady  who  had 
been  a  cripple  for  years,  asked  me  if  I  would  take  chickens.  I 
said,  "Yes."  She  gave  two,  which  I  took,  and  put  into  the 
collection  the  market  price.  Another  member  of  the  family,  a 
young  girl,  promised  a  bushel  of  potatoes.  I  also  put  in  the 
value  of  these,  and  take  them  for  my  own  use.  Please 
acknowledge  the  $28.70  as  a  contribution  from  the  church  in 
Fontanelle  to  the  Home  Missionary  Society.  I  have  received 
but  one-half  of  what  was  due  me  July  29.  Consequently,  so 
late  in  the  season  as  this ,'  I  have  to  pay  much  more  for  whatever 
I  buy. 

Fontanelle  ,  March  1 8 ,  1878 . — It  has  been  proposed  that  each 
of  the  home  missionaries  of  our  state  give  ten  dollars  toward 
liquidating  the  debt.  I  fall  in  with  the  proposition,  and 
hereby  authorize  you  to  retain  ten  dollars  of  the  amount  due  me 
on  the  29th  of  January  last. 

April  29. — My  labors  have  been  to  preach  at  this  place 
at  11  a.  m.  on  the  Sabbath,  then  ride  to  Jalapa,  six 
miles,  have  meeting  at  3  p.  m.,  return  and  hold  service  at  night, 
either  preaching  or  reading  one  of  Moody's  sermons.  This 
makes  a  laborious  day,  yet  I  love  and  enjoy  the  work,  and  my 
health  is  good.  I  also  have  the  Thursday  evening  pra}^er  meet- 
ing, and  during  the  quarter  some  of  us  have  held  an  extra 
prayer  meeting  from  house  to  house  on  Tuesday  evening. 
As  I  am  subjected  to  extra  expense  in  bringing 
our  daughter  home  from  Colorado,  I  should  'esteem  it  a  great 


342  LIFE    OF    REUBEN     GAYL0RD. 

favor  if  you  could  send  me  soon  the  balance  due  on  last  year; 
also  what  will  be  due  me  for  this  quarter,  on  receipt  of  this 
report . 

July  31.  —  Have  attended  a  council  at  Fremont  for  the 
ordination  of  Rev.  A.  P.  Swing,  who  is  preaching  there.  He 
is  a  young  man  of  much  promise.  I  go  to  Jalapa  every 
Sabbath  afternoon,  where  I  find  a  gratifying  increase  in  the 
attendance  and  hope  for  good  results.  I  enjoy  my  service 
among  that  people  and  have  much  freedom  in  speaking  to  them. 

November  1,  1878. — On  Sunday,  September  22,  after  preach- 
ing here  at  11  o'clock,  I  rode  to  Center ville,  a  distance  of 
twelve  miles,  and  organized  a  church  on  Bro.  Seward's  field. 
On  Sunday,  October  11,  on  an  exchange,  I  preached  three  times 
and  rode  twenty  miles  to  meet  the  appointment.  Have  attended 
the  meeting  of  our  local  Association  at  Wahoo  and  the  General 
Association  at  Fremont.  Thus  you  see  I  have  had  the  joy  of 
work,  whatever  else  I  may  have  lacked.  But  it  has  been  rather 
that  of  the  sower  than  of  the  reaper,  yet  I  trust  God  that  the 
harvest  will  come  at  no  very  distant  day.  *  *  *  It  has 
always  been  a  fixed  principle  with  me  to  meet  my  appointments 
if  possible .  Have  preached  my  annual  home  missionary  sermon 
here  and  at  Jalapa.  The  churches  are  entirely  unanimous  in 
wishing  me  to  remain  another  ye&Y. 

January  15,  1879. — I  have  completed  my  annual  collections 
for  home  missions,  and  by  taking  what  the  people  had  to  give, have 
been  able  to  make  it  up  to  twenty-five  dollars.  In  accordance  with 
my  usual  practice  I  called  upon  the  people  in  person  to  solicit 
contributions.  This  costs  time  and  labor,  but  pays  in  the  end. 
More  is  contributed  in  this  way,  and  it  gives  the  people  an  extra 
visit  from  the  minister,  who  is  often  able  to  impart  information 
in  regard  to  the  home  field  which  he  could  not  well  give  in  a 
sermon.  More  chickens  were  given,  and  one  brother  promised 
a  ton  of  hay.  His  son,  a  boy  of  thirteen,  gave  a  bushel  of  corn. 
These  the  missionary's  horse  will  gladly  make  use  of.  One  good 
Campbellite  brother,  whose  wife  and  daughter  are  members  of 
our  church,  had  no  money,  but  would  subscribe  to  pay  in  wood, 


"in  labors  more  abundant."        343 

and,  wishing  to  pay  for  preaching  in  the  same  way,  gave  his 
two  largest  trees.  I  gladly  accepted  them,  and  sent  some  men 
who  wanted  work  to  fell  and  bring  them  to  my  house.  They 
made  in  all  four  cords  of  wood.  Your  missionary  will  lose 
nothing,  and  the  Society  will  get  what  it  would  not  otherwise 
receive.  Last  fall  I  felt  compelled  to  purchase  a  horse,  harness 
and  buggy  to  enable  me  to  prosecute  my  work.  The  last  part 
of  the  quarter  has  been  severely  cold,  the  mercury  going  down 
to  26°  and  even  lower.  But  this  has  not  kept  me  in  a  single 
instance  from  filling  nry  appointments  on  the  Sabbath.  Thanks 
for  your  recommendation  of  our  family  to  those  Albany 
ladies,  who  sent  us  a  nice  box  of  clothing.  It  came  on  Christ- 
mas day,  and  was  a  most  welcome  and  much  needed  Christmas 
gift. 

Fontanelle,  April  30. — The  first  quarter  of  my  fourth  year 
among  this  people  has  just  closed.  It  has  been  with  great 
pleasure  that  I  have  prosecuted  my  work  much  as  usual,  having 
three  services  on  the  Sabbath .  At  Fontanelle  we  hold  our 
meetings  in  the  school  building,  being  allowed  to  use  it  for 
the  morning  service  and  Sabbath  school,  and  we  usually  occupy 
it  for  meetings  at  night.  One  of  our  school  directors,  who  is  a 
Joe  Smith  Mormon,  has  made  use  of  it  two  or  three  evenings. 
He  is  our  post-master,  and  is  moral  and  upright  in  his  daily  life. 
We  need  a  house  of  worship  which  we  can  control  at  all  times. 
In  accordance  with  the  new  rule  of  the  Executive  Committee,  I 
prepared  a  sermon  a  few  weeks  since,  setting  forth  what  I  regard 
as  the  general  teachings  of  the  word  of  God  in  regard  to  the 
duty  of  giving,  and  preached  it  in  both  of  my  churches.  I  told 
them  I  would  prepare  a  book,  and  in  due  time  call  upon  them, 
and  let  each  one  say  what  he  would  give  weekly  or  monthly 
and  for  what  object. 

Fontanelle,  July  29. — This  day  completes  the  half  of  my 
present  year.  I  have  been  "in  labors  more  abundant,"  the 
details  of  which  would  make  too  long  a  letter.  With  Mrs. 
Gaylord  I  attended  a  county  Sabbath  school  convention  for 
Dodge  county,  going  to  Glencoe,  a  distance  of  thirty  miles.     It 


344  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

was  a  good  meeting,  with  large  attendance.  On  Sabbath,  May 
18,  between  my  service  here  and  at  Jalapa,  I  rode  five  miles  out 
of  my  way  to  administer  the  ordinance  of  baptism  to  an  infant 
child,  whose  parents  have  not  enjoyed  religious  privileges  at 
their  present  home. 

On  the  25th  of  May,  in  Newington,  Connecticut,  the  oldest 
sister  of  Mrs.  Gaylord  passed -to  her  heavenly  rest.  To  her  the 
Savior  had  long  been  very  precious ,  and  she  showed  her  love  to 
His  cause  by  bequeathing  a  considerable  portion  of  her  property , 
which  was  not  large,  to  the  various  benevolent  societies.  Among 
others  is  a  legacy  of  two  hundred  dollars  to  the  A.  H.  M.  S., 
which  will  be  paid  in  due  time. 

The  death  of  this  beloved  sister,  was  most  deeply 
felt  by  Mr.  Gaylord.  A  strong  mutual  attachment,  like- 
that  of  an  own  brother  and  sister,  existed  between  them, 
and  in  his  visits  to  Connecticut  her  house  was  to  him 
a  pleasant  and  attractive  home.  She,  too,  loved  the 
cause  of  missions,  and  often  in  her  life  time  made 
personal  sacrifices  that  she  might  have  means  to  give 
for  helping  that  cause  both  at  home  and  abroad.  In  this  she 
had  the  approbation  of  her  husband,  who  was  of  a  kindred 
spirit.  One  autumn  she  went  to  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
American  Board  with  money  to  buy  an  expensive  shawl^ 
but  time  not  being  found  to  make  the  purchase  before 
the  meeting  commenced,  her  heart  was  soon  touched,  and 
the  shawl  money  found  its  way  into  the  treasury.  The 
old  shawl  remained  on  duty  another  year,  affording  unusual 
satisfaction  to  its  wearer. 

There  were  some  reasons  why  Mr.  Gaylord  had  a  strong 
desire  to  visit  his  native  state  once  more,  and  to  go  that 
summer.  It  was  fourteen  years  since  he  had  looked  upon  the 
scenes  of  his  early  life,  and  aside  from  the  meeting  of  his 
college  class,  another  reason  was  a  much  needed  rest,  and 
a  change  which  would  divert  his  mind  into  other  chan- 
nels. But  the  idea  was  abandoned,  much  to  the  regret  of 
some,  who  knew  what  cheer  and  helpfulness  the  journey 


LONG   RIDE   TO    ATTEND    FUNERAL.  345 

and  mingling  with  old  and  dear  friends  would  bring  to 
him.  The  thought  has  often  come  since  his  departure, 
that  possibly  that  period  of  turning  aside  from  his  work 
would  have  prolonged  his  days.  This  last  year,  which 
was  fast  drawing  to  a  close,  was  full  of  active  labor. 
Perhaps  in  no  one  year  of  his  ministry  did  he  accomplish 
more  than  in  this.  How  little  we  thought  that  his  work 
was  so  soon  to  be  finished,  and  that  he  was  preparing  to 
enter  upon  a  higher  service  in  another  and  better  land. 

His  report  to  the  Society  continues: 

On  the  morning  of  June  30,  I  received  a  dispatch  from 
Scribner,  asking  me  to  come  up  and  attend  a  funeral  at  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  that  day.  I  had  my  horse  harnessed 
to  go  another  wajr,  but  started  at  once  for  Scribner.  On  arriv- 
ing there  I  found  it  necessary  to  go  ten  miles  further,  and 
hastened  on,  inquiring  my  way  as  I  went,  but  did  not  reach  the 
place  until  near  three  o'clock,  and  as  I  came  in  sight  of  the 
house  the  procession  was  just  moving  awaj*.  They  were  going 
to  the  school  house  for  the  funeral  services  and  the  burial.  But 
they  saw  me  in  the  distance  and  waited,  for  they  had  been 
watching,  not  knowing  certainly  if  I  were  coming,  as  the  nearest 
telegraph  line  was  ten  miles  away.  At  four  o'clock  I  attended 
the  funeral,  and  afterward  tarried  with  the  bereaved  family 
until  morning.  At  night  a  storm  came  up  which  drove  my 
buggy  around  the  yard,  though  it  was  not  broken.  I  had 
never  met  the  deceased,  but  learned  that  she  once  heard  me 
preach  and  requested  that  I  should  be  sent  for.  She  died  with 
a  clear  faith  in  Christ,  ready  to  exchange  a  life  of  suffering  for 
a  mansion  in  heaven.  I  drove  home  the  next  day  over  roads 
nearly  washed  away  by  the  storm,  having  traveled  sixty  miles, 
but  found  much  pleasure  in  ministering  to  the  afflicted. 

"Week  before  last  I  decided  to  leave  my  field  for  one  Sabbath , 
and  go  over  to  Eastern  Iowa  to  visit  the  scene  of  my  early 
labors  in  that  state,  1  left  Omaha  Saturday  morning,  and  at 
evening  was  in  Danville.  When  I  came  to  Nebraska  it  took 
more  than  two  weeks  of  steady  traveling  to  make  the  journey. 


346  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

Now  the  same  distance  was  made  in  thirteen  hours.  I  preached 
on  the  Sabbath,  but  oh,  what  changes!  There  were  but  few 
familiar  faces,  for  a  new  generation  had  grown  up  since  I 
left.  As  I  went  into  the  church  the  people  gathered  around  and 
greeted  me  warmly.  Many  of  them  were  taken  by  surprise, 
not  knowing  I  was  to  be  present.  Dr.  H.  almost  leaped  across 
the  vestibule  and  seized  hold  of  my  hand,  which  he  seemed 
unwilling  to  relinquish.  I  spent  two  days  in  visiting  from 
house  to  house,  and  enjoyed  the  occasion  as  much  as  any  one 
could  in  similar  circumstances.  Truly  we  are  all  passing  away, 
and  I  am  admonished  that  what  I  do  must  be  done  quickly.  The 
growth  of  this  western  country  shows  in  a  strong  light  the 
importance  of  the  work  to  be  done  by  the  Home  Missionary 
Society.  It  certainly  needs  to  press  its  efforts  with  a  greater 
energy  than  ever  before  to  meet  the  responsibilities  of  the  hour. 

Fontanelle,  October  29. — I  have  prosecuted  my  regular 
work  with  but  little  interruption,  filling  all  my  appointments 
here  and  at  Jalapa,  and  the  attendance  has  been  good.  On  the 
29th  of  August  the  youngest  son  of  Rev.  L.  H.  Jones  was  killed 
suddenly,  having  been  crushed  b}r  cars  at  Blair.  His  remains 
were  brought  here  for  interment,  and  I  was  called  upon  to  attend 
the  funeral.  He  had  formerly  lived  in  Fontanelle,  and  his 
wife's  parents  only  a  few  miles  away.  A  very  large  number  of 
people  were  called  together  by  the  sad  providence,  and  I  sought 
to  impress  the  duty  of  being  ever  read}'  for  death . 

On  the  4th  of  September  the  Old  Settlers  Association  of 
Washington  county  held  its  annual  meeting  at  this  place.  It 
was  one  of  our  brightest  autumnal  days ,  and  the  occasion  brought 
together  a  great  assemblage  of  people  from  all  parts  of  the 
county  and  from  other  counties.  An  address  by  an  old  settler, 
good  music  and  responses  to  appropriate  sentiments  gave  peculiar 
interest,  especially  to  those  who  were  early  on  the  ground,  and 
it  was  truly  pleasant  to  revive  the  memories  of  those  pioneer 
days.  I  acted  as  chaplain.  September  28th  was  observed  as 
Nebraska  Sabbath  School  Day,  by  the  recommendation  of  the 
State  Sabbath  School  Association.     I  preached  on  the  subject  in 


LAST   WEEKS   OF    LABOR.  347 

the  morning,  and  at  night  we  had  a  Sabbath  school  temperance 
concert,  which  was  veiy  interesting  and  largely  attended. 

On  the  27th  of  September  Rev.  E.  B.  Hurlburt,  formerly  in 
charge  of  this  church,  died  in  Omaha  after  a  lingering  illness. 
His  end  was  peace.  When  I  obtain  the  needful  information  I  will 
send  3*ou  a  brief  sketch  of  this  dear  brother,  who  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  in  gospel  work  in  Nebraska.  About  the  1st  of  October 
we  all  went  to  Grinnell,  Iowa,  to  attend  the  marriage  of  my 
son,  at  which  I  officiated,  assisted  by  Rev.  Dr.  Sturtevant. 
This  was  a  pleasant  vacation,  and  is  the  only  time  I  have  been 
off  my  field  during  the  quarter. 

Two  weeks  since,  the  Iowa  City  Conference  of  the 
Latter  Day  Saints  was  held  in  our  place  of  worship, 
so  that  I  had  no  service  here.  One  week  ago  last  Sab- 
bath, in  consequence  of  the  bridge  over  the  Elkhorn  river 
being  impassable,  I  had  to  go  around  to  another  bridge,  making 
me  twelve  or  fourteen  miles  of  travel  to  reach  my  appointment 
at  Jalapa.  Arriving  there  nearly  an  hour  late,  I  found  my  con- 
gregation waiting,  and  was  glad  I  made  the  effort,  but  did  not 
reach  home  until  9  o'clock.  In  reviewing  the  quarter  which 
closes  to-day,  while  I  have  not  witnessed  those  results  which 
ever}^  faithful  minister  desires  to  see,  yet  the  word  has  been 
preached  with  hopefulness,  and  I  trust  the  seed  sown  will  yet 
bear  fruit  in  a  harvest  of  good  that  will  rejoice  many  hearts. 

The  few  lines  which  follow  are  taken  from  the  last 
communication  Mr.  Gaylord  made  to  the  Home  Missionary 
Society : 

Fontanelle,  November  29. — On  the  29th  of  October  I  sent 
you  my  third  quarterly  report,  but  as  yet  have  no  word  in 
reply ,  neither  the  expected  draft  nor  a  postal  informing  me  of  the 
state  of  the  treasury.  Hence  I  fear  that  either  my  report  or 
your  reply  has  failed  to  reach  its  destination.  My  son  has  sent 
the  legacy  of  Mrs.  Gay  lord's  sister,  and  writes  that  he  has  your 
acknowledgment.  I  hope"  to  receive  the  draft  before  many 
days,  as  I  am  in  need  of  the  means  to  make  provision  for 
winter. 


348  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

If  we  only  knew,  as  we  mingle  with  our  loved  ones  from 
day  to  day,  that  they  were  soon  to  go  from  us,  never  to 
return,  how  indescribably  precious  would  the  passing 
moments  seem  !  How  every  word  and  look  and  act  would 
be  treasured  up  in  memory  and  imprinted  on  the  heart  with 
the  accuracy  of  a  photograph,  and  how  we  would  long  to 
grasp  the  days  and  hold  them  with  a  mighty  effort,  to  make 
them  move  more  slowly  if  possible.  But  those  last  weeks 
of  December  hastened  on.  The  wheels  of  time  did  not  stop 
or  "turn  backward  in  their  flight."  November  had  been 
cheered  by  a  visit  from  a  sister,  and  on  the  1st  of  December 
there  was  a  drive  of  thirty-two  miles  to  the  daughter's  home 
in  Irvington,  where  a  Sabbath  was  passed  in  her  family 
and  among  the  people.  Some  of  the  days  which  followed  our 
return  were  very  cold,  and  it  was  noticed  that  after  family 
worship  each  morning,  Mr.  Gaylord  sat  for  a  longer  time 
than  usual  by  the  fire,  reading  the  Bible  "without  note 
or  comment."  What  benedictions  he  received  from  these 
readings  we  cannot  know. 

Then  came  preparations  for  a  festival  to  raise  money  for 
the  Christmas  tree,  which  was  very  successful,  and  was 
followed  by  the  purchase  of  gifts,  selections  of  Christmas 
carols,  recitations,  etc,  occupying  the  time  and  thought  of 
the  family,  so  that  but  little  attention  could  be  given  by  the 
members  to  each  other.  That  Christmas  was  a  memorable 
one.  The  exercises  were  very  suitable  and  interesting,  and 
each  scholar  received  some  present  from  the  tree.  But  best 
of  all,  it  contained  a  cloak  for  Mrs.  Gaylord  from  her  hus- 
band and  children — his  last  gift — and  a  fur  cap  and  driving 
gloves  for  the  pastor  from  the  ladies  of  Fontanelle.  He 
thanked  them  in  a  few  well  chosen  words,  and  after  the 
closing  exercises  all  dispersed,  happy  and  satisfied,  to  their 
homes. 

To  Miss  Martha  Gaylord  : 

Fontanelle,  December  29,  1879. — My  Dear  Niece:  Please 
accept  the  enclosed  with  my  best  wishes  for  your  health  and 


NEW    YEAR'S    SERMON WEEK    OF    PRAYER.  349 

happiness.  Am  sorry  I  could  not  send  it  in  time  for  Christmas. 
We  are  having  extremely  cold  weather,  and  our  house  is  not 
very  warm.  Mrs.  Gaylord  and  I  cannot  endure  the  cold  as  we 
could  years  ago,  but  we  are  favored  with  pretty  good  health, 
for  which  I  trust  we  are  thankful.  Georgia  is  at  home,  and  is 
feeling  quite  well  for  her.  This  is  the  first  winter  she  has  spent 
with  us  for  several  years ,  but  I  hope  she  will  not  suffer  seriously . 
Ralph  was  married  in  Grinnell,  Iowa,  on  the  second  day  of 
October  last.  He  and  his  wife  are  boarding  in  Omaha,  and  are 
pleasantly  situated.  We  visited  Sarah  a  short  time  since.  She 
has  six  children — three  sons  and  three  daughters.  Time  is 
bearing  us  on  to  the  end  of  our  earthly  race.  We  are  almost  at 
the  close  of  another  year,  and  how  swiftly  the  days  seem  to  pass! 

Mr.  Gaylord's  sermon  on  the  28th  of  December,  the  last 
Sabbath  of  the  year,  was  from  these  words,  "  How  old  art 
thou?"  and  on  New  Years'  Sabbath  from  Ecclesiastics  9:10, 
"Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might," 
taking  the  whole  verse.  In  speaking  of  the  sudden  decease 
of  clergymen  and  others  during  the  past  year,  he  says,  this 
fact  should  awaken  us  to  diligence  in  Christian  work.  What 
we  do  for  Christ  must  be  done  quickly,  for  in  such  an  hour 
as  we  think  not  the  Son  of  Man  may  come  to  some  of  us. 
But  a  synopsis  of  this  sermon  and  two  or  three  others  will  be 
given  in  the  last  chapter.  In  the  afternoon  of  that  Sabbath, 
his  text  at  Jalapa  was,  "  The  time  is  short,"  I.  Corinthians, 
6:29.  The  snow  had  melted  to  some  extent,  making  the 
roads  heavy,  and  he  was  late  in  getting  home.  After  caring 
for  his  horse  he  came  in,  saying,  "I  have  no  time  for  supper, 
but  must  go  directly  to  church."  On  being  urged  to  take 
some  refreshment,  he  yielded  a  little,  and  without  remov- 
ing his  overcoat,  drank  a  cup  of  tea  and  hurried  to  the 
evening  service. 

We  give  here  a  small  portion  of  an  excellent  letter 
written  by  Mrs.  Kline:  "After  the  usual  holiday  observ- 
ances had  closed,  in  rejoicing  over  the  birth  of  the  new 
year,  our  pastor  commenced  the  week  of  prayer.     The  open- 


350  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

ing  subject  on  that  Sabbath  evening  was  praise.  In  con- 
ducting the  service  Mr.  Gaylord  was  unusually  impressive. 
His  soul  seemed  borne  above  the  sublunary  things  of  time 
in  contemplation  of  the  angels'  song  of  praise  around  the 
eternal  throne." 

The  meetings  continued,  and  as  the  people  dispersed  on 
the  following  Thursday  evening,  all  seemed  to  feel  that  this 
meeting  had  been  very  interesting.  The  night  was  dark, 
and  a  lantern  was  used  to  throw  light  on  the  homeward 
path.  Some  of  our  people  from  the  country,  who  were  driv- 
ing down  the  street  toward  their  home,  remembered  that 
they  saw  him  by  the  glimmer  of  his  lantern  for  the  last 
time,  as  we  passed  up  the  avenue  between  the  rows  of  trees 
toward  the  house.  There  was  no  "  help  "  in  doing  the  work, 
and  he  insisted  on  taking  upon  himself  a  part  of  the  duties 
to  be  performed  that  night.  It  was  late  when  the  evening 
prayers  were  offered,  and  near  midnight  when  he  retired. 
At  half  past  seven  it  was  said  to  him,  with  much  regret  at 
the  necessity,  "  I  suppose  you  will  have  to  get  up."  After  a 
short  time  he  arose,  walked  a  few  steps,  and  fell  prostrate. 
As  he  did  not  arise  at  once,  we  sprang  to  assist  him,  but 
needing  more  help  the  daughter  was  summoned,  and  he  was 
placed  upon  the  bed,  from  which  he  was  never  to  rise. 
Some  young  men,  boarding  near,  soon  brought  the  doctor 
to  his  bedside.  It  was  a  severe  stroke  of  paralysis,  which 
closed  the  eyes  as  if  in  a  natural  sleep  and  destroyed  the 
power  of  speech,  so  that  from  that  time  he  was  unable  to 
look  upon  his  loved  ones  or  speak  a  farewell  word  as  they 
hung  around  him  during  those  last  sad  hours.  Twelve 
and  one-half  years  had  passed  since  that  first  slight  attack, 
and  his  friends  had  come  to  feel  so  secure  that  they  had 
almost  ceased  to  be  watchful. 

A  telegram  brought  the  son  from  Omaha,  and  the  daugh- 
ter and  her  husband  came  as  quickly  as  possible.  Pie 
lingered  until  near  four  o'clock  on  Saturday  afternoon,  when 
the  freed  spirit  passed  on  to  its  heavenly  home. 


LAYING    DOWN    HIS    ARMOR.  351 

"The  Christian  man,  with  his  memory,  his  love,  his 
power  of  thought,  and  will,  and  activity,  steps  into  the 
chariot  of  heaven  and  goes  on  to  another  city — one  hidden 
indeed  from  the  hills  of  earth,  but  none  the  less  real  and 
fixed.  It  may  cost  a  little  pain  and  weariness  to  reach  the 
conveyance,  but  the  swift  passage  to  the  Elysian  fields  amply 
repays.  And  now  the  blue  curtain  of  the  skies  that  shuts 
from  mortal  sight  the  glory  of  the  better  country,  has  parted 
to  admit  into  that  Celestial  Paradise  one  whose  heart  and 
life  were  knit  to  ours  with  the  bonds  of  everlasting  affec- 
tion." 


XI. 

ASLEEP. 
1880. 


24 


Tradition  says,  there  is  a  gateway  to 

God's  temple  courts,  open  alone  to  mourners. 

Let  us  lift  the  latch  with  reverent  hand,  and  enter  in. 

— McDutf. 

I  know  it  is  over,  over — 

I  know  it  is  over  at  last; 
Down  sail;  the  sheathed  anchor  uncover, 

For  the  stress  of  the  voyage  has  passed ; 
Life,  like  a  tempest  of  ocean, 

Hath  out-blown  its  ultimate  blast. 
There's  but  a  faint  sobbing  seaward, 
While  the  calm  of  the  tide  deepens  leeward, 
And  behold!  like  the  welcoming  quiver 
Of  heart-pulses  throbbed  through  the  river 

Those  lights  in  the  Harbor  at  last — 

The  heavenly  harbor  at  last ! 

— Selected. 


The  sun  does  not  go  to  its  grave,  but  disappears  as  if  into  the  earth 
so  does  the  man  who  dies. — Dr.  Goodell. 


"  Thy  brother  shall  rise  again." 

He  goes  to  seek  a  deeper  rest; 
Good  night !  the  day  was  sultry  here, 

In  toil  and  fear; 
Good  night !   up  there  'tis  cool  and  clear. 

— Selected. 


CHAPTER  XI. 
In  Memoriam. 

Funeral  Services — Memorial  Services — Interesting  Testimonials 
and  Reminiscences  From  Numerous  Friends. 

ON  Monday  morning,  January  12,  a  brief  funeral  service 
was  held,  conducted  by  Rev.  I.  E.  Heaton,  of  Fremont. 
Then  the  precious  remains,  with  the  family  and  a  few  friends 
from  Fontanelle,  passed  down  to  Omaha,  on  the  Fremont 
and  Elkhorn  Valley  railroad.  They  were  met  at  the  depot 
by  some  of  the  citizens,  who  accompanied  them  to  the  home 
on  Farnam  street. 

We  give  a  narrative  of  the  funeral  on  Tuesday,  taken 
from  the  Daily  Herald. 

The  last  sad  rites  over  all  that  was  mortal  of  the  Rev. 
Reuben  Gaylord  were  held  yesterday,  the  services  taking  place 
at  the  Congregational  church.  The  preacher's  desk  was  hung 
with  heavy  folds  of  black,  caught  together  about  a  bouquet  of 
calla  lilies,  and  evergreens  and  flowers  stood  on  either  side.  A 
large  number  of  friends  assembled  at  the  church. 

The  service  opened  with  the  music  of  Batiste's  funeral  march, 
to  which  the  procession  entered.  Rev.  A.  F.  Sherrill,  pastor 
of  the  church,  and  Rev.  H.  N.  Gates,  a  successor  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Gaylord  in  home  missionary  work,  preceded  the  casket,  which 
was  borne  by  B.  E.  B.  Kennedy,  Esq.,  Mr.  George  I.  Gilbert, 
Mr.  J.  H.  Kellom,  Mr.  Ed.  F.  Cook,  Mr.  M.  Rogers,  and  Mr. 
Alf.  D.  Jones.  A  sheaf  of  wheat,  symbolic  of  a  ripe  and  fruit- 
ful life,  a  crown  and  a  pair  of  bouquets  rested  upon  the  casket. 

The  beautiful  hymn  commencing,  "The  way  is  dark,"  was 
sung  by  the  choir,  consisting  of  Mrs.  Squires,  Mrs.  Estabrook, 
Mr.  Northrop  and  Mr.  Estabrook,  Mrs.  Wilbur  being  the 
organist.     Rev.  Mr.  Gates  offered  prayer.     Rev.  Mr.  Sherrill 


356  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

read  scripture  selections  from  Ps.  XXYI,  Is.  LXI,  and  John 
XIY.  The  hymn,  "Asleep  in  Jesus,"  was  sung.  Prayer  was 
offered  by  Rev.  Mr.  Lipe. 

Rev.  Mr.  Sherrill  read  a  brief  sketch  of  the  life  and  work  of 
the  dead  pastor,  closing  it  with  the  tribute  paid  by  Secretary 
Alf.  D.  Jones,  of  the  Old  Settlers  Society,  who  wrote:  "Rev. 
Reuben  Gaylord  was  among  our  most  honored  and  worthy 
citizens,  and  was  respected  for  his  talents  and  sincere  Christian 
character." 

The  following  was  the  sketch  in  part: 

"Rev.  Reuben  Gaylord  was  born  April  28,  1812,  at  Norfolk, 
Connecticut,  among  the  hills  of  Litchfield  countj^.  At  his  death, 
Saturday  afternoon,  January  10,  he  was  sixty-seven  years  and 
eight  months  old.  His  father  was  a  farmer,  and  he  himself 
passed  the  early  years  of  his  boyhood  in  the  usual  life  of  a 
farmer's  son.  His  pastor  was  Rev.  Ralph  Emerson,  afterwards 
a  professor  in  Andover  Theological  Seminary,  and  through  his 
influence  Mr.  Gaj'lord's  parents  consented  to  give  up  their 
favorite  son  to  be  educated  for  the  ministry.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  he  entered  Yale  College,  took  the  full  course,  and 
graduated  in  1834. 

During  his  course  Mr.  Gaylord  took  a  high  stand,  both 
in  college  work  and  as  a  Christian  student.  In  Greek,  Latin 
and  mathematics  his  scholarship  was  of  an  especially  high  standard 
and  among  the  first.  He  was  one  of  those  chosen  to  represent 
his  class  at  its  graduation  in  1834.  Present  at  that  time  was 
the  Rev.  J.  M.  Sturtevant,  of  the  then  infant  College  at 
Jacksonville,  Illinois.  So  pleased  was  he  with  Mr.  Gaylord 's 
graduating  oration  and  the  spirit  exhibited,  that  he  at  once 
sought  him  for  a  tutorship  in  Illinois  College.  This  offer  was 
accepted  by  Mr.  G.,  and  he  went  to  Jacksonville  in  the  spring 
of  1835.  There  he  remained  till  the  autumn  of  1837,  perform- 
ing the  duties  of  tutor,  and  at  the  same  time  pursuing  theological 
studies  under  Dr.  Edward  Beecher.  In  1837  he  entered  the 
Yale  Theological  Seminary,  and  graduated  therefrom  in  1838. 
In  the  fall  of  1838  he  came  west  to  Iowa,  and  entered  upon  the 
work  in  which  he  lived  and  died.     He  was  the  second  Congre- 


BRIEF   MENTION   OF   LAST   DAYS.  357 

gational  minister  in  Iowa,  and  one  of  the  three  who  organized 
the  first  association  in  that  state.  Many  churches  in  Iowa  were 
formed  by  him.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  Iowa  College, 
and  for  many  years  one  of  its  trustees.  He  labored  in  Iowa  till 
December,  1855,  when  he  came  to  this  place,  and  was  again  one 
of  the  three  ministers  who  organized  the  first  association  in 
Nebraska.  He  was  pastor  of  the  church  here  till  the  summer  of 
1864,  when,  being  in  the  east  on  his  first  vacation,  he  was 
offered  and  accepted  the  agency  of  the  American  Home  Mission- 
ary Society  for  Nebraska  and  Western  Iowa.  In  this  work  he 
continued  till  1870,  when  he  resigned. 

For  four  years  past  he  has  been  preaching  to  the  church  at 
Fontanelle,  the  second  church  in  age  in  the  state,  founded  bj7, 
him,  and  one  in  which  he  took  especial  interest.  He  has  ever 
been  an  earnest,  faithful  worker  in  the  Lord's  vineyard, 
thoroughly  devoted  to  the  Master's  service — a  man  respected  by 
all,  loved  by  those  who  knew  him  well — of  simple,  pure,  noble, 
upright,  Christian  life — a  devoted,  kind,  loving  husband,  father 
and  pastor. 

His  wish  and  prayer,  often  expressed,  has  been:  "When 
the  Master  comes  I  hope  he  will  find  me  at  work  and  with  the 
harness  on."     His  prayer  was  answered. 

The  first  Sabbath  in  January  he  preached  with  unusual  vigor 
from  the  text,  "Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with 
thy  might."  He  also  held  two  other  services  that  day,  and 
rode  twelve  miles  to  one  of  them.  He  commenced  the  week  of 
prayer,  and  on  Thursday  evening,  at  the  close  of  a  good  meet- 
ing, after  naming  the  subject  for  the  next  evening,  remarked: 
"The  themes  grow  in  grandeur  and  importance  as  we  progress, 
and  now  I  want  j^ou  all  to  come  to-morrow  evening  and  bring 
3^our  friends  with  you,  and  we  will  see  if  we  cannot  have  the 
best  meeting  of  all  the  week."  The  next  morning,  on  getting 
up,  he  fell  to  the  floor.  He  was  helped  to  his  bed,  and  medical 
aid  was  summoned  at  once.  But  medical  aid  and  all  the 
efforts  of  loving  friends  and  an  affectionate  people  were  of  no 
avail.  In  thirty -six  hours  he  passed  away,  unconscious  from 
the  first,  and  with  a  peaceful  death.     The  Master  had  come  and 


358  LIFE   OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

found  him  at  his  post.  We  doubt  not  he  was  ready,  though 
truly  the  Son  of  Man  came  in  an  hour  that  he  thought  not.  He 
had  commenced  his  preparation  to  preach  on  last  Sabbath  from 
the  text:  "To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with 
me  on  my  throne,  even  as  I  also  overcame  and  am  set  down  with 
my  Father  on  his  throne." 

His  jrear  a^  Fontanelle  was  drawing  to  a  close,  and  the  people 
were  unanimous  in  wishing  him  to  remain,  some  of  them  hoping 
he  would  be  able  to  preach  to  them  for  several  years  yet.  For 
two  years  past  he  has  had  the  charge  of  two  churches,  holding 
three  services  on  the  Sabbath  and  riding  twelve  miles. 

He  always  had  an  excellent  constitution,  and  at  his  death 
his  physical  organism  was  undisturbed  by  any  chronic  disease. 
It  was  the  overworked  brain  and  anxiety  as  to  the  results  of  his 
labors  which  caused  the  sudden  stroke. 

He  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  died  in  less  than  two 
years.  With  the  companion  whom  he  has  just  left  he  lived  over 
thirt3*-eight  years.  Two  children  have  died,  one  in  Iowa  and 
one  in  Omaha.  Three  children  remain,  Mrs.  S.  C.  Brewster,  of 
Irvington;  R.  E.  Gay  lord,  of  this  city,  and  Miss  Georgia 
Gay  lord,  the  adopted  daughter,  to  whom  he  was  most  sincerely 
attached . ' ' 

The  pastor  followed  with  brief  and  fitting  remarks,  referring 
to  the  high  esteem  in  which  Rev.  Mr.  Gay  lord's  ability  had 
been  held,  at  college  and  since;  to  his  consecration  to  his  work, 
and  to  his  having  lived  to  see  the  churches  which  he  founded 
grow  to  size  and  strength. 

He  remarked  strikingly  how  a  year  ago,  when  Mr.  Gay  lord 
gave  a  sketch  of  his  work  in  the  state,  he  spoke  with  joy  of  the 
growth  of  the  church  and  expressed  his  desire  that  he  might  not 
be  laid  aside  in  his  old  age — might  not  spend  years  in  lingering 
pain  and  idleness.  God  has  been  good  to  him  in  another  wish 
of  his  heart — that  he  might  be  brought  at  last  to  the  church  he 
founded  and  among  the  people  he  loved.  In  this  place,  where 
of  all  others  he  would  have  desired  it,  his  body  rests. 

Mr.  Sherrill  closed  by  testifying  to  the  invariable  kindness 
shown  him  by  Mr.  Gay  lord,  and  to  the  love  for  the  pioneer 


AFFECTIONATE   TRIBUTES.  359 

pastor,  and  esteem  for  his  work  that  he  had  found  throughout 
the  state. 

Rev.  J.  B.  Maxfield  offered  prayer.  The  closing  hymn  was 
a  favorite  with  Mr.  Gay  lord:  "I  love  thy  kingdom,  Lord." 
The  announcement  that  a  memorial  service  will  be  held  soon, 
with  addresses  by  those  who  were  associated  with  Mr.  Gaylord 
in  the  early  days,  was  made  by  Mr.  Sherrill.  Rev.  Mr.  Spencer, 
of  Irvington ,  pronounced  the  benediction .  The  remains  were 
viewed  and  the  cortege  proceeded  to  Prospect  Hill,  where  the 
interment  took  place. 

On  Wednesday  the  little  family  returned  to  their  lonely 
home  in  Fontanelle,  and  on  Saturday  of  the  following  week 
came  again  to  Omaha,  to  be  present  at  the  Memorial  Services, 
which  had  been  appointed  for  Sabbath  evening,  January 
25th.  We  copy  from  two  daily  papers  some  tributes  of 
respect  and  affectionate  regard,  given  by  citizens  and  friends 
on  that  interesting  occasion : 

A  memorial  service  for  the  late  Rev.  Reuben  Gaylord  was 
held  at  the  Congregational  church  on  Sunday  evening.  Rev. 
A.  F.  Sherrill,  the  pastor,  conducted  the  service.  The  choir 
sang  several  fitting  anthems  with  much  feeling. 

Rev.  Mr.  Sherrill,  in  stating  the  nature  of  the  service,  read 
brief  extracts  from  letters  received  from  all  quarters,  testimo- 
nials of  old  friendship  and  regard.  Among  them  was  one 
from  Hon.  A.  J.  Poppleton,  who  was  unable  to  be  present. 
There  were  also  resolutions  passed  by  the  Church  of  Fontanelle, 
and  letters  were  read  from  Rev.  Mr.  Lane,  of  Oskaloosa,  Iowa, 
one  of  the  oldest  pastors  in  that  state,  and  acquainted  with  Mr. 
Gaylord  from  the  time  of  his  coming  into  Iowa;  from  President 
Magoun,  of  Iowa  College,  and  from  Rev.  Dr.  Salter,  of  Bur- 
lington . 

Rev .  Julius  A .  Reed ,  of  Davenport, who  was  associated  in  Iowa 
with  Mr.  Gaylord  in  1834-5,  delivered  the  first  address,  heartily 
endorsing  every  statement  made  in  the  letters.  He  recollected 
the  graduating  oration  delivered  by  Mr .  Gaylord  at  Yale  College 
— why,  he  did  not  know,  for  the  orator  was  then  a  stranger  to 


360  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

him;  yet  it  impressed  him  strongly.  He  remembered  his  robust, 
vigorous  form,  full  of  life  and  vitality,  and  his  earnest,  manly 
bearing.  A  year  later  he  met  Mr.  Gay  lord,  then  a  tutor  in  the 
college  at  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  and  being  from  the  same  state 
and  graduates  of  the  same  college,  they  formed  a  friendship, 
which  remained  to  the  last.  Three  years  later  they  met  again. 
Crossing  one  of  the  prairies  of  Illinois  the  speaker  saw  a  man 
approaching  who  proved  to  be  Mr.  Gay  lord,  on  his  way  to  Iowa, 
where  he  commenced  his  life-work  with  Rev.  Asa  Turner,  then 
the  only  Congregational  minister  in  the  state.  Two  or  three 
years  later  the  speaker  and  Mr.  Gay  lord  met  again  at  Danville, 
soon  after  reaching  which  place  Mr.  Gaylord  had  been  called 
upon  to  part  with  his  wife.  In  1841  he  was  married  to  his 
second  wife,  who  survives  him.  He  spoke  in  the  highest  terms 
of  his  faith,  energy  and  industry,  and  of  his  satisfactory  per- 
formance of  his  duties  in  Iowa,  and  their  warm  endorsement  by 
his  people;  his  constant  refusal  to  change  stations  so  as  to  better 
himself,  and  of  his  final  removal  to  this  state.  He  was  a  sincere, 
honest,  Christian  man,  without  the  least  taint  of  worldliness  in 
his  disposition.  He  had  no  recollection  of  ever  once  hearing 
him  talk  of  his  financial  condition.  His  home  had  always  worn 
an  air  of  comfort,  but  that  might  be  due  in  a  greater  measure  to 
the  partner  he  had  left  surviving  him.  Mr.  Gaylord  had,  he 
believed,  learned  on  his  father's  farm  the  true  lesson  of  economy, 
never  to  spend  a  cent  until  he  had  earned  it.  He  was  one  of 
the  sincere  men  whose  countenances  never  belie  their  hearts, 
and  who  prize  the  treasures  which  are  laid  up  in  heaven  more 
than  all  else,  and  it  is  not  altogether  sad  to  see  Christ  call  one 
of  the  faithful  ones  home  to  receive  his  reward.  We  must  not 
look  alone  after  the  temporary  habitation  of  the  spirit  which  is 
borne  to  the  grave,  but  more  at  the  fact  that  he  has  thrown 
off  this  mantle  of  clay,  and  hears  the  welcome  approval,  "Well 
done,  good  and  faithful  servant,  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy 
Lord." 

"Leaves  have  their  time  to  fall,"  said  Prof.  Kellom,  in 
opening  his  eulogy  on  Rev.  Mr.  Gaylord.  "  Life  is  like  wine, 
and  to  drink  it  pure,  no  one  must  drink  its  dregs.     This  build- 


AFFECTIONATE   TRIBUTES.  361 

ing,"  continued  the  speaker,  "  is  a  monument,  as  all  buildings 
in  Omaha  are  monuments  of  him,  and  of  those  who  commenced 
the  labor  of  love  with  him  in  those  early  days.  Capital  erects 
no  buildings  of  value  until  the  gospel  has  reared  the  meeting 
house.  This  Congregational  church  is  really  and  truly  his 
monument.  To  him,  to  Rev.  Mr.  Collins,  of  the  Methodist 
church,  and  to  Rev.  Mr.  Watson,  of  the  Episcopal  church,  the 
city  owes  much." 

Hon.  B.  E.  B.  Kennecty,  one  of  the  first  trustees  of  the 
church,  spoke  of  his  earnestness,  sincerity  and  devotion  to  his 
cause;  and  the  trials,  hardships  and  privations  which  attended 
his  successes  in  this  community  and  this  state.  The  speaker 
concluded  with  the  hope  that  the  name  of  Elder  Gaylord  will  be 
written  with  letters  of  gold  in  pictures  of  silver  upon  the  tablets 
of  the  Congregational  churches  throughout  the  state.  Referring 
to  the  practice  of  our  national  representatives,  of  voting  bounties 
and  back  pay  to  those  who  had  served  their  country,  he  asked 
if  the  Congregational  church  could  not  do  something  for  one 
whose  life  was  spent  in  her  service.  "  May  not  the  people  of 
the  city  erect  upon  the  little  spot  on  yonder  hill  a  monument  of 
enduring  marble  that  shall  bear  something  of  the  worth  and 
excellence  of  our  departed  friend  ?" 

Rev.  Mr.  Sherrill  seconded  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Kennedy, 
and  signified  his  readiness  to  contribute  to  that  end. 

Dr.  G.  L.  Miller  spoke  of  the  memories  of  Mr.  Gaylord  and 
his  work,  that  were  called  up  by  the  tidings  of  his  death.  He 
had  met  him  on  his  arrival  from  Iowa,  and  remembered  his 
appeals  for  help  to  resist  the  tide  of  wickedness  in  this  place, 
when  the  young  men  were  somewhat  reluctant  to  respond.  "  He 
was  conscientious,  persistent,  and  above  all  things,  patient. 
There  were  some  very  influential  and  religious  men  in  this  com- 
munity who  did  not  encourage  him  much.  I  may  say  that  Mr. 
Gaylord  planted  Sunday  on  this  side  of  the  Missouri  river.  On 
my  arrival  there  was  no  such  day  as  Sunday,  or  I  could  not  find 
it  if  there  was,  but  the  fact  was  we  didn't  look  very  much  for  it. 
He  was  the  head  and  front  of  the  whole  matter.  Some  of  the 
other  preachers  here  did  not  do  what  he  did,  simply  because 


362  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

the}'  did  not  have  the  power.  I  knew  him  and  knew  him  well, 
and  might  speak  by  the  hour,  but  could  not  add  anything  to  the 
just  eulogies  that  have  been  passed  on  his  character.  I  am  glad 
to  see  Bishop  Clarkson  present  to-night  to  give  his  impressions 
of  Mr.  Gaylord.  I  ma}'  say  this,  that  I  think,  in  the  most 
glorious  efforts  of  his  religious  life,  I  never  saw  him  shine  so 
brightly  as  when  at  the  bedside  of  the  sick  and  dying.  He  had 
faith  in  prayer,  and  he  was  a  good  man  whose  all  was  in  that 
faith.  It  was  characteristic  of  Mr.  Gaylord  that  he  allowed 
nothing  to  disturb  him.  In  the  presence  of  sickness,  of  mourn- 
ing, of  danger,  he  was  unshaken.  I  had  the  opportunity,  as  a 
professional  man ,  to  know  something  about  this . 

I  would  add  one  thought.  I  do  not  think  those  who  survive 
did  him  justice  while  he  lived.  We  were  too  busy.  The 
trouble  with  this  world  is,  that  it  is  too  busy  and  mercenary ,  and 
while  he  was  trying  to  make  men  better,  ice  were  trying  to  get 
corner  lots.  He  preached  *  Christ  and  Him  Crucified,'  and 
nothing  else.  As  a  citizen  the  unselfishness  of  his  motives  was 
shown  by  the  condition  of  the  country,  for  when  he  came  to  it, 
there  was  nothing  to  tie  an}'  one  to  it,  and  his  only  motive  must 
have  been  to  spread  the  gospel."  The  speaker  closed  by  saying 
that  we  shall  preserve  Mr.  Gaylord 's  memory  fresh  and  green, 
and  suggested  a  monument  to  him,  to  be  erected  wholly  by  his 
people,  and  in  no  part  by  his  relatives. 

Bishop  Clarkson  said  it  would  be  hard  to  add  a  single  tribute 
to  the  memory  of  this  man  of  Christ,  though  he  would  be  glad 
to  let  fall  one  memorial  upon  his  fresh  made  grave,  already  so 
richly  covered .  "It  was  grand  to  hear  men  of  the  world  talk 
of  a  Christian  minister,  as  had  been  done  at  these  services. 
Unlike  others,  who  came  to  create  great  riches,  to  build  railroads, 
to  crowd  around  them  a  wealth  of  riches,  Mr.  Gaylord  came  to 
lay  the  foundations  of  this  splendid  empire  of  Christian  institu- 
tions. While  others  were  getting  wealth  he  was  working  for  a 
higher  and  holier  purpose,  was  going  in  and  out  among  men's 
homes,  through  sunshine  and  storm,  to  offer  them  in  his  Master's 
name,  the  imperishable  riches  they  cared  so  little  about.  No 
doubt  men  in  those  days  thought  lightly  of  his  work.     Perhaps 


HEARTFELT   TESTIMONIALS.  363 

even  now,  his  character  cannot  be  rightly  estimated,  but  there 
is  a  time  coming  when  it  shall  be  rightly  estimated,  when  all  of 
us  shall  stand  in  a  presence  where  his  Christian-like  unselfishness 
will  receive  its  proper  reward.  By  the  side  of  his  treasures  all 
other  things  will  in  the  light  of  eternity,  sink  into  insignificance, 
and  when  at  the  last  da}^  the  earth  shall  be  dissolved  and  all 
things  shall  be  at  an  end,  there  will  be  no  crumbling  beneath 
his  feet.  Who  can  reckon  the  hoby  influences  which  have  flowed 
from  this  man's  teachings  in  a  life-work  of  forty-five  years? 
Who  can  estimate  the  number  of  souls  that  have  been  blessed 
forever  by  being  guided  into  paths  of  righteousness  by  his 
shining  light?  We  are  not  able  to  estimate  these  things,  but  in 
the  hereafter  not  one  of  them  shall  be  forgotten  or  overlooked." 
The  service  closed  with  the  singing  of  "Come  Ye  Discon- 
solate," and  the  benediction  was  pronounced. 

Mr.  Gaylord's  life  work  closed  with  his  fourth  year  of 
labor  in  Fontanelle.  His  faithfulness  and  devotion  are 
exhibited  here  as  elsewhere  in  his  own  words,  as,  without 
knowing  it,  he  told  with  so  much  simplicity,  in  letters  and 
reports,  what  he  was  doing  in  those  last  weeks  and  months 
of  his  busy  life.  And  it  is  still  further  delineated  in  the 
numerous  and  beautiful  letters  and  testimonials  from  those 
friends  who  knew  him  best.  We  regret  that  so  much  must 
be  omitted  from  these  for  want  of  sufficient  space.  But 
they  have  fulfilled  their  mission  by  bringing  cheer  and 
helpfulness  to  the  living  in  hours  of  loneliness  and  sorrow, 
and  will  continue  to  do  this  in  the  few  months  or  years  of 
life  that  may  yet  remain. 

Rev.  Dr.  D.  B.  Coe,  of  the  American  Home  Missionary 
Society,  writes : 

You  have  our  hearty  sympathy  in  the  great  sorrow  to  which 
God  lias  appointed  3Tou,  but  we  rejoice  with  you  that  He  spared 
your  husband  so  long.  I  honored  him  as  His  instrument  in 
winning  so  many  souls  to  His  service  and  love.  Few  men  have 
accomplished  so  much  in  the  work  of  home  missions,  and  he  will 


364  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

be  held  in  grateful  remembrance,  in  the  states  where  he  has 
labored,  by  generations  yet  unborn. 

Rev.  A.  F.  Sherrill,  of  Omaha,  says: 

I  have  always  remembered  the  emphasis  with  which  Mr. 
Gay  lord  one  night  repeated  this  verse,  "Thou  wilt  keep  him  in 
perfect  peace,  whose  mind  is  stayed  on  Thee,  because  he  trusteth 
in  Thee."  They  who  trust  in  Him  shall  not  be  desolate.  May 
God  be  with  you,  and,  so  far  as  can  be,  make  up  what  is  now 
lacking.  Chalmers  says,  "Christians  never  see  each  other  for 
the  last  time." 

Rev.  John  Gray,  then  of  Wahoo,  Nebraska,  in  trans- 
mitting the  resolutions  passed  by  the  Omaha  Association, 
wrote : 

These  words  are  simply  the  expression — and  very  poorly 
they  express  it — of  the  respect  and  affection  we  all  felt  and  feel 
for  your  husband.  *  *  *  I  often  meet  in  my  travels 
those  who  were  partakers  of  his  labors,  and  whose  expression  of 
their  value  to  them,  in  the  loneliness  of  settlers  in  a  new  country, 
it  is  a  gratification  to  hear. 

Mrs.  Asa  Turner,  in  writing  for  her  husband,  Father 
Turner,  of  Iowa,  says : 

He  rejoices  that  your  husband  has  triumphed  over  death. 
He  is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth.  It  is  a  blessed  way  to  die,  if  one 
is  ready,  and  we  ktwiv  he  was.  He  wonders  why  he  is  spared, 
and  others  taken  who  are  working  faithfully  in  the  cause  of 
Christ. 

Rev.  Daniel  Lane,  of  Iowa,  writes  for  himself  and  Rev. 
Asa  Turner: 

We  both  remember  him  with  deep  interest  and  affection ,  not 
only  for  his  good  works,  but  also  for  his  social  qualities  and  his 
amiable  and  lovely  character.  The  great  interests  of  Christ's 
kingdom,  the  fields  which  most  demanded  Christian  labor,  and 
the  best  methods  and  agencies  for  the  accomplishment  of  Chris- 
tian enterprise,  were  the  predominant  topics  which  controlled 


HEARTFELT    TESTIMONIALS.  365 

the  heart,  supplied  the  motives,  and  called  forth  the  energies  of 
Bro.  Gay  lord.  His  whole  life  in  Iowa,  and  in  his  more 
western  field  after  leaving  us,  is  proof  of  this  statement.  With 
him  Christ  and  His  cause,  the  elevation  of  human  society,  and 
the  salvation  of  men ,  offered  higher  inducements  and  superior 
motives  for  a  life  work,  although  it  might  be  coupled  with 
poverty,  than  any  profession  which  promised  financial  independ- 
ence. He  believed,  like  Moses,  that  there  are  times  when  even 
the  "reproach  of  Christ  is  greater  riches  than  the  treasures  of 
Egypt,"  and  he  chose  the  ministry  with  all  its  financial  risks. 
Bro.  Gaylord  was  a  man  of  quick  sympathies.  The  "Iowa 
Band"  will  never  forget  the  cordiality  with  which  he  met  us  on 
our  arrival  at  Denmark.  It  was  a  heartiness  which  never 
drooped  while  he  was  associated  with  us  in  our  territorial  and 
state  work.  He  was  also  a  man  of  the  people  and  for  the  people. 
Poor  and  rich,  white  and  black,  all  colors  and  races  were  objects 
of  his  greeting  whenever  and  wherever  met.  The  poet  Terence 
wrote:  "I  consider  nothing  human  alien  to  me."  Paul, 
prompted  by  his  love  to  Christ  and  humanity,  says:  "I  be- 
came all  things  to  all  men,  that  I  might  b}r  all  means  save  some." 
These  quotations  describe  the  spirit  and  sympathy  which  were, 
prevailingly,  the  spirit  of  Rev.  Reuben  Ga3rlord.  "Blessed  are 
the  dead"  who  have  lived  and  died  such  a  life.  On  his  leaving 
Iowa  for  Nebraska,  his  brethren  here  regretted  to  lose  one  in 
whom  they  had  so  much  confidence,  and  for  whom  they  cherished 
so  much  love,  but  we  gave  him  our  "God-speed." 

In  another  letter  Mr.  Lane  says: 

My  first  acquaintance  began  in  1843,  when  those  members  of 
the  Iowa  Band  were  ordained  in  Denmark.  Subsequently  we 
often  met  in  ecclesiastical  gatherings,  in  meetings  for  the  found- 
ing of  Iowa  College,  in  conferences  of  the  trustees,  and  in  other 
consultations  not  unfrequent  in  the  history  of  our  state.  Besides 
these  opportunities  for  personal  acquaintance,  I  was  occasionally 
at  his  home,  a  guest  in  his  family.  In  all  nvy  associated  rela- 
tions with  our  departed  brother  my  favorable  impressions  of 
him  grew  stronger  and  stronger  with   the  lapse  of  time.     In 


366  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

calling  up  my  remembrances  of  him,  I  do  not  find  a  single  im- 
pression, made  on  my  mind  by  his  Christian  and  ministerial 
character,  which  I  could  desire  to  have  erased  from  memory. 
In  the  domestic  relations  he  had  the  true  heart  of  a  tender  and 
provident  husband  and  father.  In  his  friendships  he  was  true, 
always  reliable.  In  his  ministerial  relations  he  was  instructive, 
and  sought  the  best  good  of  his  church  and  congregation  and  of 
the  people  in  the  vicinity  of  his  labors.  In  his  relation  to  his 
ministerial  brethren  and  to  the  churches  he  was  always  ready 
for  co-operation  in  every  good  work  for  human  benefit  and  the 
honor  of  his  Master.  He  was  a  Christian  brother  of  unflinching 
self-denial  when  circumstances  demanded  it  for  the  general  good. 
Closely  allied  with  this  self-denial  was  self-forgetfulness,  and  an 
indomitable  perseverance  in  doing  what  he  believed  his  Lord 
and  Master  required  him  to  accomplish.  The  influence  of  his 
character  and  labors  still  lives,  and  will  for  years  to  come.  We 
thank  God  that  this  dear  brother  was  permitted  to  live  and  work 
with  us  so  many  years. 

Rev.  Dr.  Salter,  of  Burlington,  Iowa,  says: 

In  every  relation  he  confirmed  the  faith  and  confidence  which 
his  brethren  always  reposed  in  him  as  a  wise  and  judicious  coun- 
selor, faithful  to  the  interests  of  the  kingdom,  and  cheerfully 
bearing  his  part  in  its  labors  and  sacrifices.  The  privations  and 
straitened  circumstances  of  those  pioneer  days  were  never  a 
matter  of  murmuring  or  complaint  with  him;  he  had  a  happy 
faculty  of  adapting  himself  to  circumstances,  and  he  saw  the 
growth  and  ultimate  prosperity  of  the  country  as  with  a 
prophet's  vision,  and  rejoiced  at  the  opportunity  of  molding 
the  civilization  and  institutions  of  the  future  after  the  ideals  of 
the  gospel.  It  gave  me  great  pleasure  to  receive  a  visit  from 
him  last  summer,  and  to  see  him  so  full  of  freshness  and  vigor 
toward  the  evening  of  life. 

Rev.  Mr.  Rice,  of  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  writes : 

He  held  firmly  and  preached  faithfully  the  great  cardinal 
doctrines  of  the  gospel.     He  always  held  up  before  the  world 


RESOLUTIONS    BY    OMAHA    AND    FONTANELLE.  367 

Christ  crucified  as  the  only  way  of  salvation.  He  was  eminently 
a  man  of  prayer.  By  his  earnest,  tender,  and  affectionate  man- 
ner, and  his  evident  sincerity,  he  won  the  hearts  of  the  people. 
In  his  social  life  he  was  cordial  and  sincere,  and  while  he  gained 
many  friends  he  attached  them  strongly  to  himself.  His  rela- 
tions to  his  brethren  in  the  ministry  were  always  pleasant,  and 
it  is  the  lot  of  only  a  few  to  be  held  in  such  grateful  remem- 
brance by  the  churches  where  he  was  known,  both  in  Nebraska 
and  Iowa.  I  remember  that  cold,  snowy  26th  of  November, 
when  we  took  the  bod}*-  of  a  beloved  son,  little  Joseph  Deming, 
out  upon  the  bleak  prairie  for  burial.  Now  the  father  has  gone 
to  join  him. 

Among  the  resolutions  passed  by  the  "  Omaha  Associa- 
tion," at  its  spring  meeting  in  1880,  was  the  following: 

That  we  express  our  love  and  gratitude  to  God  for  all  his 
long  life  of  faithful  service,  especially  the  part  of  it  in  this 
state,  and  for  the  universally  wise,  kindly  and  godly  bearing 
of  our  brother,  his  great  usefulness,  industry,  and  constant 
devotion  to  the  work  of  his  Master. 

In  the  resolutions  adopted  by  the  Fontanelle  church 
were  the  following: 

That  in  the  death  of  our  worthy  and  much  loved  pastor, 
this  church  has  lost  its  most  estimable  leader,  efficient  worker,  and 
best  friend — one  whose  noble  qualities  of  mind  were  of  a  high 
order,  and  whose  exalted  religious  character  was  a  model  for 
emulation,  a  guide  to  others,  and  commanded  the  respect  of  all. 

That  in  the  irreparable  loss  to  society  generally,  and  to  this 
community  especially,  we  mourn  the  departure  of  a  man  of  large 
beneficence,  untiring  industry,  inflexible  energy,  and  sterling 
uprightness  of  religious  and  moral  character. 

Mrs.  E.  R.  Kline,  one  of  Mr.  Gaylord's  Fontanelle  parish- 
oners,  says  of  him: 

I  reverenced  him  as  a  gospel  minister  and  regarded  him  as 
a  Christian  friend,  and  I  consider  it  one  of  the  merciful  provi 


368  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

dences  of  my  life  that  I  was  permitted  to  know  him  personally, 
and  to  feel  the  influence  of  his  religious  example .  He  was  eminently 
a  Christian  man.  The  love  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  souls 
were  his  joy  and  theme.  As  a  preacher  he  exhibited  an  intimate 
knowledge  and  clear  conception  of  Scriptural  truth.  His 
enlarged  views  led  him  to  enter  into  the  various  measures  of  his 
time  calculated  to  promote  the  welfare  of  humanity.  Temper- 
ance, and  all  reformatory  institutions  and  measures,  received 
his  hearty  approval  and  co-operation.  During  the  four  years 
of  Mr.  Gay  lord's  ministry  in  Fontanelle  there  were  additions 
to  the  church  membership,  and  a  spirit  of  harmony  pervaded 
the  entire  body. 

From  Mrs.  Sutton,  of  Jalapa  : 

Mr.  Gaylord  preached  for  us  two  years.  *  *  *  It 
was  a  rare  privilege  to  know  such  a  man,  to  witness  his  unwaver- 
ing faith,  his  peaceful  and  peace-making  spirit,  his  steadfast 
hold  upon  gospel  principles.  He  preached  by  example  as  well 
as  by  word,  and  seemed  to  be  a  man  who  walked  God's  paths, 
and  had  God  with  him  to  interpret  the  wonders  of  the  way.  We 
will  not  soon  forget  his  last  sermon,  from  the  text,  "  The  time 
is  short."  It  was  at  the  beginning  of  the  new  year.  He  spoke 
of  some  who  were  called  away  the  past  year,  and  wondered  how 
many  of  us  would  live  to  see  the  close  of  the  present  year .  Then 
he  spoke  of  himself,  perhaps  he  would  be  sent  for,  to  cross  over 
the  river  of  death.  The  next  Sabbath  we  went  to  the  school 
house,  expecting  him  to  preach.  But  alas!  Word  came  that 
Mr.  Gaylord  had  left  us.  It  was  a  message  which  carried  sor- 
row into  many  a  heart. 

From  Rev.  E.  Adams,  Home  Missionary  Superintendent 
for  Iowa: 

To  R.  E.  Gaylord: — My  recollections  of  your  honored 
father  carry  me  back  many,  many  years.  It  was  in  the  fall  of 
1843,  that  I  first  met  him  in  Denmark,  and  of  the  ministers 
gathered  at  that  time,  none  gave  us  heartier  welcome  than  did 
he.  He  seemed  at  once  to  take  us  all  into  his  very  heart,  thank- 
ins:  God  for  the  recruits  lie  had  sent  to  the  few  that  were  there 


TESTIMONIALS   CONTINUED.  369 

carrying  the  burden  of  frontier  work.  His  cheerful  smile,  the 
frank,  open  tones  of  his  voice,  the  warm  pressure  of  his  hand, 
all  soon  told  of  a  generous,  hearty  soul  within.  Of  this  I  knew 
more  and  happily,  as  afterwards  I  enjoyed  the  hospitalities  of 
his  home.  Being  stationed  for  a  year  in  a  neighboring  field, 
my  visits  were  by  no  means  infrequent.  Well  do  I  remember 
how  the  cold  winter  rides  were  cheered  at  the  thought  of  the 
warm  reception  awaiting,  when  once  his  cabin  should  be  reached 
— a  shelter  for  my  pony,  and  a  Christian  family  to  greet  me. 
At  the  end  of  a  year  I  moved  some  distance  from  your  father's 
home  and  did  not  see  him  much,  save  as  we  met  at  our  Associa- 
tional  meetings .  On  all  such  occasions  his  presence  was  a  blessing, 
and  we  looked  upon  him  as  a  true  and  faithful  home  missionary. 
It  was  this  missionary  spirit  that  led  him,  at  an  early  day,  to 
leave  Iowa  for  Nebraska.  We  were  sorry  to  lose  him,  but 
admired  his  spirit,  and  honored  his  example.  He  has  passed 
away,  and  we  who  are  following  after  are  in  the  midst  of  length- 
ening shadows,  as  the  sun  hangs  low.  God  help  us  to  be  faithful 
as  he  to  the  end  ! 

From  Mrs.  E.  Adams: 

To  Mrs.  Gaylokd:  It  seems  a  long  time  since  I  first  knew 
you  and  your  dear  husband  in  your  home  in  Iowa.  But  through 
all  these  years  our  God  has  cared  for  us  and  led  us  on  till  one, 
your  husband,  has  been  called  first  to  go  over  the  river  and  up 
the  shining  way  to  the  heavenly  city.  *  *  *  A  few 
more  years,  a  little  more  trust  and  patient  submission,  which 
bring  their  own  sweet  reward  here,  and  then  we  too  shall  go. 
May  you,  dear  friend,  find  a  sustaining  arm  all  the  way,  and 
may  you  be  enabled  to  testify  of  the  wonderful  grace  that  can 
help  in  such  an  hour  as  this.  Mr.  Gay  lord  was  very  kind  and 
helpful  to  me  when  I  passed  through  Omaha  on  my  way  to 
Colorado. 

From  Rev.  J.  H.  Morley,  Home  Missionary  Superintend- 
ent of  Minnesota: 

April  27,  1889. — My  Dear  Mrs.  Gayloro:  Your  letter  of 
the  23rd  instant  brings  to  mind  the  time  twenty-two  and  one- 

25 


370  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

half  years  ago,  when  I  came  to  your  house  in  Omaha,  sick  after 
a  long  stage  ride  from  Denison,  Iowa,  and  when  you  and  your 
good  husband  kindly  took  care  of  me.  I  recall  the  drive  to 
Magnolia,  and  then  across  the  country  to  Lewis,  and  back  to 
Omaha,  and  my  going  to  the  Magnolia  church  to  become  its 
pastor.  I  recall,  too,  how  I  told  your  husband  that  I  would 
go  to  any  church  he  desired  me  to,  and  how  he  kindly  gave  me 
my  choice  of  fields.  I  learned  to  esteem  him  for  his  works' 
sake,  and  cheerfully  bear  record  to  the  noble  work  which  he 
did  in  Western  Iowa  and  Nebraska.  His  work  lives  after  him, 
and  I  only  wish  he  might  know  how  noble  a  superstructure 
rests  upon  the  foundations  which  he  personally  and  with  many 
labors  and  prayers  laid.  I  am  glad  that  we  are  to  have  some 
written  memoirs  of  one  who  did  so  much  hard  and  faithful  work 
in  the  early  days. 

From  Rev.  M.  F  Plait: 

The  writer  of  this  article  first  met  the  Rev.  R.  Gaylord  in 
the  spring  of  1861,  and  from  that  time  until  his  death  our 
friendship  was  like  that  of  Jonathan  and  David.  Our  acquaint- 
ance was  formed  under  the  following  circumstances: 

Bro.  Gaylord  was  on  his  way  from  Omaha  to  Brown ville  to 
visit  the  little  church  there,  and  to  strengthen  the  things  that  be. 
We  met  at  what  was  then  known  as  Civil  Bend  (now  called  Per- 
cival) ,  in  Iowa.  Here  he  stayed  with  n^  brother,  L.W.  Piatt,  and 
during  Saturday  and  Sunday  spent  his  time  in  gathering  in  the 
scattered  sheep.  On  Saturday  we  had  a  church  meeting  in  the 
little  log  school  house,  and  there,  after  a  business  meeting,  I 
listened  to  the  first  preparatory  lecture  I  had  heard  for  years; 
and  as  our  dear  brother  presented  Jesus  to  us  in  all  His  loving 
acts  and  mercies,  it  was  like  rain  falling  upon  thirsty  ground. 
I  drank  it  in  with  tears  coursing  down  my  cheeks  as  the  brother 
depicted  it  in  his  own  inimitable  style,  and  my  soul  cried  out 
for  more.  While  listening  to  that  sermon  the  thought  came  to 
me,  ''Why  do  you  not  go  and  preach  this  blessed  gospel  of  sal- 
vation?" and  I  could  not  rid  myself  of  it  until  I  had  said,  "Lord, 
I  will  go."     I  began  my  labors  in  Nebraska  in  1862,  where  I 


RECOLLECTIONS    OP    REV.    M.    P.    PLATT.  371 

prepared  the  w&y  for  Bro.  Gaylord  to  perform  his  first  official 
act  as  Superintendent  of  the  A.  H.  M.  S. 

The  first  church  he  organized  was  at  the  village  of  Salt 
Creek,  now  Greenwood,  where  I  had  been  laboring  for  nearly 
tAvo  years.  From  that  time  on,  our  labors  and  travels  together 
were  many,  both  in  Nebraska  and  Iowa,  until  his  term  as  Super- 
intendent expired.  On  one  occasion  we  were  out  together 
nearly  a  week.  At  this  time  he  had  wished  me  to  accompany  him, 
so  on  Friday,  leaving  Iowa,  we  crossed  the  Missouri  river  and 
arrived  safe  on  the  Nebraska  side  during  the  afternoon.  Cross- 
ing that  river  during  those  early  days  was  no  easy  task.  We 
often  spent  nearly  a  whole  day  on  the  bank,  or  on  board  the  little 
flat  ferry  boat,  stemming  the  current  or  lodged  on  one  of  the 
many  sandbars.  After  a  brief  stay  in  Plattsmouth,  we  wended 
our  way  towards  where  South  Bend  now  is.  Night  coming  on 
we  "  put  up  "  at  a  farm  house,  and  on  Saturday  continued  our 
journey.  The  day  was  pleasant,  and  we  made  several  calls. 
During  the  afternoon,  as  we  were  riding  along,  talking  of 
Christ's  kingdom  as  connected  with  our  Nebraska  churches,  the 
wind  changed  from  the  south  and  was  blowing  from  the  north- 
west before  we  noticed  it.  We  suddenly  saw  in  the  distance  a 
dense  cloud  of  dust,  smoke,  and  the  ashes  and  cinders  of  burnt 
grass  bearing  down  upon  us.  Our  road  lay  along  a  high  and 
narrow  ridge — an  exposed  position.  I  said  to  Bro.  Gaylord,  as 
we  saw  it  coming  :  "  Drive  rapidly,  so  we  may  reach  that  skirt 
of  timber  before  it  overtakes  us."  He  did  so,  but  it  availed  not, 
for  the  tempest  was  upon  us.  He  stopped  his  team  and  I  sprang 
out  of  the  carriage,  threw  back  the  top  and  stood  pushing  with 
all  my  strength  against  the  vehicle,  lest  it  should  blow  over. 
Bro.  Gaylord  sat  in  the  carriage  holding  the  reins,  while  the 
tempest  swept  by,  carrying  the  black  and  charred  remains  of  the 
prairie  before  it.  The  wind  ceased,  and  I  looked  up,  and  lo! 
what  a  sight  was  before  me .  There  sat  my  good  brother  with 
his  clothes,  ears  and  eyes  literally  filled  with  the  black  dust  and 
cinders,  and  his  face  so  completely  covered  with  ashes  that  he 
was  beyond  recognition.  I  laughed  heartily,  and  said,  "  Bro. 
Gaylord ,  how  you  look !     Why  you  are  as  black  as  an  Ethiopian ! ' ' 


372  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

I  shall  never  forget  his  answer,  as  he,  in  his  characteristic  way, 
quietly  looked  at  me  for  a  moment,  then  said  he  thought  "  the 
pot  could  not  very  well  call  the  kettle  black!"  Soon  the  rain 
began  to  pour  down,  but  we  drove  on,  and  it  was  growing  quite 
dark  as  we  rode  up  to  the  house  of  Bro.  Fountain,  near  where  the 
station  house  of  South  Bend  now  stands .  Here  we  were  ten  or 
twelve  miles  from  our  destination.  After  a  good  night's  rest, 
on  a  beautiful  Sabbath  morning  we  drove  on  to  our  appointment, 
near  the  present  site  of  Greenwood.  Bro.  Gay  lord  preached 
morning  and  evening,  and  the  communion  service  was  observed. 
Tuesday  we  went  on  our  way,  reaching  the  point  where  the  city 
of  Lincoln  now  is,  stopped  with  friends  and  took  dinner,  talking 
with  them  of  Christ's  cause.  Here  was  broached  the  first  sug- 
gestion of  church  organization  in  that  city .  Then  we  started  on 
our  return  to  Iowa  by  another  route,  and  arrived  at  Stevens 
creek  just  at  dark .  We  ' '  put  up  ' '  for  the  night  at  a  "  ranch  ' ' 
and  were  told  that  we  could  stay,  but  there  was  not  much  for 
supper,  as  the  teams  that  had  gone  to  Nebraska  City  for  supplies 
had  not  returned.  All  of  which  we  found  to  be  true  as  we  sat 
down  to  the  table.  The  bill  of  fare  consisted  of  "hoecake," 
and  for  drink  we  had  our  choice  of  water  or  milk.  Sometime 
during  the  night  we  were  awakened  by  a  noise,  and  knew  that 
the  wagon-train  had  arrived  with  the  provisions.  We  had  a 
breakfast  of  biscuit  and  butter  with  fried  ham,  and  coffee  sweet- 
ened with  sugar  instead  of  sorghum,  which  was  often  used  in 
those  days.  On  reaching  the  Iowa  side  of  the  river,  we  found 
that  the  storm  we  had  encountered  in  Nebraska  had  been  quite 
violent,  overturning  houses  and  uprooting  trees. 

As  to  our  departed  brother,  he  was  beloved  by  us  all  on 
account  of  his  Christian  fortitude  and  forbearance.  His  conduct 
was  the  same  under  all  the  hardships  and  inconveniences  of 
pioneer  missionary  life.  We  valued  him  for  his  wise  and 
Christian  counsel  in  those  earlier  days  of  toil,  and  as  a  Christian 
brother  and  minister  of  the  blessed  gospel. 

I  cannot  close  this  without  a  word  of  commendation  for  her 
who  so  nobly  bore  the  hardships  with  our  departed  brother  in 
those  pioneer  days.     Her  deep  sympathy  in  all  Christian  labor, 


TRIBUTES    OF    ESTEEM    FROM    PROF.    KELLOM.  373 

brought  out  her  warmest  good  wishes  and  hearty  hand  shakes, 
with  the  "God  bless  you,"  that  sent  many  of  us  away  from 
their  hospitable  home  with  better  and  stronger  resolutions  for 
good  and  with  renewed  courage  for  the  great  work  that  lay 
before  us.  Such  was  the  co-worker  and  helper  to  our  dear 
brother  and  to  us  all. 

From  Prof.  Kellom,  now  of  California  : 

Twenty-six  years  ago  I  landed  in  Omaha.  The  day  following 
Mr.  Gay  lord  called  on  me,  and  the  impression  of  that  first 
call,  like  the  first  impression  of  Omaha,  is  vivid  and  lasting.  I 
had  for  many  years  read  his  letters  from  Iowa  in  the  Home 
Missionary,  and  had  inferred  from  them  that  he  must  be  an 
earnest,  devoted,  hard-working  minister.  This  first  inter- 
view of  an  hour's  duration,  convinced  me  that  Mr.  Gay  lord  was 
the  right  man,  and  in  the  right  place.  Though  in  middle 
life,  the  wrinkles  chiseled  on  his  brow,  proclaimed  him  a 
man  of  thought  and  anxiety.  Already  a  veteran  in  Christian 
work  in  Iowa,  he  had  but  lately  separated  himself  from  the 
sympathy  and  companionship  of  those  Christian  ministers  who 
assisted  him  in  laying  the  foundations  of  religion,  morals  and 
good  government  in  that  great  state. 

Single  and  alone,  with  the  faith  and  courage  of  Paul,  when 
he  crossed  over  into  Macedonia,  he  crossed  the  Missouri  river 
into  the  territor}^  of  Nebraska.  In  all  this  region,  wild  and 
boundless,  there  was  not  a  church  edifice  nor  sympathizing 
helper . 

Only  two  years  previous  to  this,  my  first  acquaintance  with 
Mr.  Gay  lord,  had  the  Indians,  by  treaty,  withdrawn  from  a 
small  portion  of  the  territory,  so  that  the  few  settlers  who  had 
preceded  him,  were  without  religious  instruction,  without 
schools,  and  without  title  to  a  single  acre  of  land.  Already 
schooled  in  western  experience,  he  saw  the  plains  and  prairies  of 
Nebraska  surveyed  into  counties,  with  shire  towns  in  each,  and 
churches  and  school  houses  in  every  town. 

It  has  seldom  fallen  to  the  lot  of  one  man  to  be  foremost  in 
organizing  Christian  work   in  two  great  states  like  Iowa  and 


374  LIFE   OF   REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

Nebraska.  It  seems  to  me  that  this  is  the  great  glory,  in  a 
human  point  of  view,  of  Bro.  Gay  lord.  By  years  of  toil  he  had 
earned  rest,  or  at  least  a  quiet  pastorate  in  one  of  the  many 
beautiful  villages  in  Iowa,  in  which  he  was  the  first  to  preach 
the  gospel  and  organize  churches.  Had  he  done  this,  the 
verdict  would  have  been,  "Well  done,  good  and  faithful  ser- 
vant." But,  believing  himself  better  qualified  for  frontier 
work  than  those  whose  experience  had  been  less  and  trials  fewer, 
he  yielded  to  them  these  easy  pulpits,  and  thus  did  double  duty, 
double  work,  and  almost  lived  a  double  life. 

The  labor  and  self-denials  which  this  step  imposed,  no  doubt 
shortened  his  life.  So  large  was  the  field  and  few  the  laborers, 
so  precious  to  him  the  souls  of  men,  that  overwork  was  almost 
inevitable,  and  the  wonder  is  that  the  end  was  so  long  delayed. 

The  Congregational  church  was  organized  less  than  two 
weeks  before  my  arrival.  I  brought  a  letter  from  a  Congrega- 
tional church,  though  myself  a  Presbyterian,  as  was  also  my 
late  pastor,  who  had  furnished  me,  on  my  departure  from  the 
east,  with  forms  and  documents  for  organizing  a  Presbyterian 
church  in  Omaha.  Bro.  Gay  lord  hoped  I  would  not  be  hasty 
in  this  direction;  desired  me  to  look  over  the  ground,  and  see 
if  it  would  not  be  more  for  the  glory  of  the  Master  to  co-operate 
in  his  work,  throw  my  influence  in  favor  of  his  church  just 
organized,  whose  membership  was  so  small  in  numbers  and 
limited  in  means.  His  manner  was  so  earnest,  his  heart  so 
devoted  and  his  plans  so  wisely  laid,  that  I  threw  all  my  Pres- 
byterian documents  into  the  fire,  resolving,  that  for  the  time 
being  and  until  Omaha  had  a  much  larger  population,  I  would 
unite  with  his  people,  and  urge  all  new  comers  of  the  Presby- 
terian order  to  unite  with  me  in  holding  up  the  hands  of  our 
devoted  brother. 

Mr.  Gay  lord,  in  the  light  of  his  Iowa  experience,  had  ex- 
amined the  map  of  Nebraska,  compared  the  rival  claims  of 
Nebraska  City,  Brownville,  Plattsmouth,  Bellevue  and  Florence, 
and  decided  that  Omaha  was  to  become  the  future  unrivaled 
metropolis  of  the  state.  And  in  this  opinion  his  confidence 
never  wavered,  not  even  when  the  panic  came,  and  the  hard 


EMIGRANTS   MAKING   HOMES.  375 

times,  and  the  successful  efforts  of  the  legislature  to  take  from 
us  the  capitol.  At  that  early  day  it  did  not  enter  into  the 
plans  of  most  of  us  to  make  Omaha  our  permanent  home.  We 
had  a  vague  idea  of  making  a  "pile"  in  three  or  four  years, 
and  then  returning  east  to  enjoy  it!  Of  course,  others  would 
come  to  fill  our  places,  and  in  time  follow  us  back.  On  the 
other  hand,  Mr.  Gay  lord  came  to  stay — he  burned  the  ship 
behind  him.  His  task  was  a  hard  one;  he  had  to  contend  against 
the  spirit  of  worldliness  and  wild  speculation ,  which  character- 
ized the  early  settlers,  and  also  against  the  feeling  of  instability 
and  temporary  citizenship. 

During  the  year  1856,  every  stage  through  Iowa,  and  every 
boat  from  St.  Louis,  was  freighted  with  immigrants,  many  with 
their  wives  and  children,  who  were  obliged  to  extemporize 
homes,  hastily  erected  from  cotton  wood  boards,  just  sawed 
from  the  green  logs  at  the  mill.  With  these  discomforts,  the 
labor  of  securing  new  homes,  and  the  excitement  incident  to 
the  buying  and  selling  of  corner  lots,  what  could  a  gospel  min- 
ister do  in  laying  foundations  and  making  this  a  godly  city, 
from  which  good  Christian  influences  were  to  radiate  out  over 
the  state? 

Discouraging  as  these  circumstances  were,  Mr.  Gay  lord 
grappled  with  them  and  turned  them  to  account.  He  introduced 
himself  particularly  to  those  who  came  to  remain ,  assisting  them 
in  finding  temporary  shelter,  advising  them  of  the  eligibility  and 
value  of  home  lots,  and  thus  by  manifold  acts  of  kindness,  win- 
ning their  regard  and  preparing  their  hearts  for  the  gospel 
truths  proclaimed  by  him  on  the  Sabbath,  in  the  old  State  House, 
Douglas  Hotel,  or  some  private  room. 

While  Mr.  Gaylord  never  speculated  in  real  estate,  his  judg- 
ment of  the  value  thereof,  and  where  investments  would  make 
the  best  and  quickest  returns,  was  excellent.  Often  in  the  year 
1856  did  I  go  to  him  for  advice  in  reference  to  the  real,  present 
and  prospective  value  of  certain  realty,  and  in  no  instance  did 
I  have  cause  to  regret  following  his  judgment.  This  faculty, 
acquired  by  long  experience  in  the  west,  would  have  made  him 
the  possessor  of  great  wealth  had  he  been  a  man  of  the  world. 


376  LIFE  OP  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

But  he  used  it  for  the  good  of  others .  It  gave  him  influence 
over  men  of  affairs.  They  had  confidence  in  his  judgment  and 
integrity  as  a  fellow  citizen,  and  this  directed  their  confidence 
in  him  as  a  religious  teacher. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  as  an  instance  of  his  insight  or 
foresight,  was  the  location  of  the  railroad  bridge  across  the 
Missouri  river.  This  bridge  was  to  span  the  river  at  Florence, 
at  the  Salisbury  mill,  at  Child's  mill,  at  Bellevue,  but  no  one 
at  that  early  day,  except  Mr.  Gay  lord,  was  of  the  opinion  that 
the  first  great  bridge  over  the  Missouri,  would  be  built  just 
where  it  was  built  and  now  is. 

During  this  trying  }'ear,  1856,  nothing  caused  him  so 
great  embarrassment  as  the  want  of  a  house  of  worship.  The 
old  State  House  was  private  property,  and  was  soon  to  be 
devoted  to  other  purposes.  The  Congregationalists,  Epis- 
copalians, Methodists  and  Baptists  who  had  jointly  and  har- 
moniously occupied  it  for  worship,  were  all  compelled  to  seek 
other  quarters.  And  where  could  they  go?  There  was  not  a 
public  hall  nor  a  school  house  in  the  town.  For  a  brief  period 
arrangements  were  made  with  the  proprietor  of  the  Douglas  House. 
Here  were  four  societies  all  suddenly  calling  on  the  little  town 
for  money  to  build  churches!  Mr.  Gay  lord  was  early  in  the 
field  soliciting  funds  for  the  erection  of  the  church,  on  the  lot 
already  donated  through  Mr.  Rice.  His  good  standing,  earn- 
estness and  energy  enabled  him  in  a  short  time  to  raise  sufficient 
money  to  enter  into  contract  for  a  brick  building  of  limited 
dimensions.  When  the  walls  were  up,  we  were  all  disappointed, 
himself  included,  that  the  audience  room  appeared  so  short. 
Here  the  work  rested  for  a  time,  when  one  day  Mr.  Gay  lord 
came  to  my  house  with  a  beaming  smile,  and  without  remark, 
handed  me  a  draft  for  four  or  five  hundred  dollars  for  enlarging 
the  church,  donated  by  some  good  friend  in  Connecticut,  I 
think.  "This,"  said  Mr.  Gay  lord,  "is  in  answer  to  prayer." 
The  end  wall  was  taken  out  and  the  building  extended  some 
fifteen  feet.  This  extension  greatly  enlarged  the  seating  capacity, 
and  as  the  town  grew,  and  the  church  was  filled  and  often 
crowded,  we  wondered  how  we  could  have  planned  so  small, 


CHARACTER   OF   MR.    GAYLORD's   SERMONS.  377 

and  we  blessed,  time  and  time  again,  the  generous  donor  of  that 
timely  draft. 

The  basement  was  completed  late  in  the  autumn ,  where  wor- 
ship was  held  during  the  winter.  In  the  following  spring  the 
whole  was  completed  and  dedicated.  And  in  this  church,  until 
he  assumed  the  superintendency  of  the  Home  Mission  churches 
of  the  state  for  a  series  of  years ,  this  man  of  God  proclaimed  the 
pure  gospel  of  Christ  and  Him  crucified.  His  prayers  from  the 
pulpit  were  often  sermons — not  in  length,  but  in  unction  and 
fervor. 

The  matter  of  his  sermons  was  decidedly  scriptural — the 
style,  strong  and  nervous;  not  ambitious  of  rhetorical  figures, 
yet  forcible  in  plain  illustrations  of  gospel  truth.  The  essay 
and  the  lecture,  which  find  delivery  from  so  many  modern  pul- 
pits, had  no  blood  relation  to  the  sermon  as  he  understood  it. 
He  was  too  conscientious  to  flatter  from  the  pulpit,  and  too 
faithful  to  offer  to  his  hearers  any  other  than  the  strong  meat 
of  the  word.  Hence,  in  one  respect,  he  was  not  a  popular 
preacher.  Those  who  were  indifferent  to  the  claims  of  the 
gospel,  who  were  not  seekers  after  truth,  who  went  to  church 
to  be  amused  or  to  gratify  an  aesthetic  taste,  were  less  interested 
than  the  opposite  class,  who  always  enjoyed  a  feast  of  reason 
and  sweet  communion  during  his  Sabbath  ministrations. 

Mr.  Gay  lord  was  always  at  home  in  the  evening  prayer 
meeting.  As  Moses  came  down  from  the  mount  with  a  shining 
face,  so  he  entered  the  meeting  with  a  glowing  countenance. 
Communion  with  the  Father,  in  his  study,  was  his  immediate 
preparation  for  the  prayer-meeting.  In  felicity  of  expression 
and  sentiment,  he  was  no  less  happy  there  than  in  the  pulpit. 
He  was  always  prepared  for  the  meeting — he  had  meat  for  the 
strong,  milk  for  the  weak,  and  earnest  exhortation  for  the 
impenitent.  He  had  implicit  confidence  in  Scripture  promises. 
His  faith  was  so  real,  and  his  anxiety  so  great,  that  he  impor- 
tuned for  a  blessing  as  if  the  promise  had  been  made  but 
yesterday.  "  Now  is  the  accepted  time"  would  often  fall  with 
solemn  cadence  on  the  ears  of  the  impenitent  and  urge  believers 
to  "  work  out  their  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling." 


378  LIFE   OP   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

He  regarded  the  prayer-meeting  as  an  important  means  of 
saving  grace — was  very  anxious  that  all  his  people  should 
attend — and  never  so  happy  as  when  a  new  convert  arose  for 
prayers,  or  a  lukewarm  professor  confessed  his  sins.  Spiritu- 
ally blessed  have  I  been  in  his  prayer-meetings. 

He  was  a  discreet  man.  He  never  did  anything  or  said 
anything  to  weaken  his  influence  for  good.  He  had  good  con- 
trol of  his  tongue  and  temper.  He  seldom  spoke  hastily  when 
his  mind  was  excited.  I  have  known  him  to  weep  when  unex- 
pected news  of  bad  import  respecting  the  church,  or  a  church 
member,  came  to  his  ears.  He  was  careful  to  pay  his  debts 
when  due,  and  not  to  contract  obligations  unless  he  saw  clearly 
a  way  to  cancel  them .  His  credit  at  the  banks  was  always  good . 
His  word  of  promise  would  be  taken  as  soon  as  his  note;  neither 
ever  went  to  protest. 

In  order  to  keep  free  from  all  entangling  alliances  of  busi- 
ness, he  refused,  as  a  matter  of  principle,  to  endorse  a  note.  A 
refusal  of  this  kind  to  a  prominent  member  of  his  church  lost 
him  his  friendship.  In  one  special  case,  he  yielded  to  the  impor- 
tunity of  a  brother  minister  and  endorsed  his  note  for  a  large 
amount.  The  note  was  protested,  and  the  estate  had  to  pay 
nearly  one  thousand  dollars. 

The  appointment  of  Mr.  Gaylord  to  superintend  the  churches 
which  he  had  organized  in  Nebraska  was  very  considerate  and 
complimentary . 

AVho  is  so  well  qualified  to  nurse  and  care  for  the  infant  as 
the  mother  who  gave  it  birth  ?  These  churches  were  the  off- 
spring of  his  labors  and  his  prayers.  They  all  recognized  him 
as  Father  Gaylord,  and  their  hearts  were  always  open  to  receive 
him.  When  he  gave  them  good  advice  and  counsel  in  their 
troubles,  when  he  prayed  for  them  and  their  families  in  their 
small  churches,  and  still  smaller  homes,  how  their  hearts  did 
burn  within  them! 

To  visit  these  churches,  scattered  over  the  prairies,  separ- 
ated by  many  long  miles,  and  by  muddy  creeks,  without 
bridges — and  frequently  the  roads  so  blind  as  to  be  hardly 
traced — required  great  labor,  and  often  subjected  him  to  dan- 


TRIBUTE    FROM    AN    OMAHA    PAPER.  379 

gerous  exposure.  There  were  no  railroads;  indeed  there  were 
no  carriage  roads  generally,  but  the  unbroken  sod  of  the 
unplowed  prairie.  When  the  driver  and  his  team  were  fatigued 
and  hungry,  the  discomforts  of  the  inn  or  private  house  were 
to  be  dreaded.  These  exhaustive  rides  and  church  visitations 
were  a  heavy  drain  on  his  naturally  strong  constitution. 

Before  closing  these  recollections  of  Bro.  Gay  lord,  I  cannot 
omit  stating  the  fact  that  he  was  greatly  assisted  in  his  labors 
by  his  worthy  help-meet. 

Mrs.  Gay  lord,  with  two  small  children,  accompanied  her 
husband  to  Omaha,  crossing  the  Missouri  river  in  December, 
the  beginning  of  an  unknown  winter.  The  hastily  constructed 
cabins,  small  and  open,  with  nothing  but  green  fuel  to  warm 
them ,  were  the  best  homes  Omaha  had  then  erected  for  her  early 
settlers.  She  submitted  with  Christian  grace  to  all  discomforts, 
supplemented  the  want  of  schools  by  teaching  her  own  children, 
and  fulfilled  the  onerous  duties  of  a  pastor's  wife,  without  com- 
plaint; indeed  it  seemed  a  source  of  satisfaction  to  her  that  she 
had  the  strength  and  ability  to  co-operate  with  her  husband  in 
his  grand  work.  As  he  was  the  first  missionary,  so  she  was 
the  first  missionary's  wife  in  Nebraska,  and  continued  such  for 
nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century.  Their  reputations  are  co-ordinate, 
and  will  go  down  in  the  history  of  Nebraska  together,  illus- 
trating its  earliest  pages  with  Christian  zeal  and  disinterested 
love. 

Mr.  Gaylord,  says  the  Omaha  Herald,  was  not  only  greatly 
respected  for  his  talents  and  his  devotion  to  his  work,  but 
he  was  much  beloved  for  his  kindness  of  heart,  and  his 
many  admirable  qualities  as  a  friend  and  adviser.  His 
removal  has  taken  away  one  of  the  old  landmarks  that 
will  live  forever  in  the  minds  of  the  men  and  women  who 
first  made  their  home  on  the  open  prairies  among  the 
Indians,  in  this  then  far  west.  The  old  settlers  are  fading 
like  the  autumn  leaves,  but  those  like  Mr.  Gaylord  will 
leave  a  name  behind  them  that  will  be  imperishable,  as  the 
founders  of  a  great  state,  with  the  foundations  laid  in  truth, 


380  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

justice  and  "good  will  to  men."  Reuben  Gaylord  was  a 
Christian  gentleman.  It  was  seen  in  his  careful  considera- 
tion of  the  rights  of  others  while  steadily  adhering  to  the 
rule  he  had  laid  down  to  be  governed  by  himself.  He 
worked  for  his  own  church,  and  yet  his  work  did  not  stop 
there;  all  men  were  his  brethren,  and  he  did  good  deeds  for 
all. 

Recollections  of  Prof.  Beals  : 

I  first  met  Rev.  Mr.  Gaylord  on  the  5th  day  of  April,  1861, 
about  two  hours  after  my  arrival  in  this,  at  that  time,  new  city. 
At  daybreak  the  steamer,  West  Wind,  that  brought  me  hither, 
swung  from  her  moorings  at  the  lower  Council  Bluffs  landing 
and  made  her  way  up  the  river.  As  we  steamed  from  behind 
the  wood-covered  hills  below  the  city,  among  the  first  objects 
that  met  my  eye  was  the  territorial  capitol,  which,  with  its 
Corinthian  pilasters  and  frieze,  and  its  towering  dome,  rested 
on  the  brow  of  the  hill  above  the  city,  like  a  crown,  and  gave 
promise  of  good  government. — the  reign  of  law  and  order. 

Our  boat  made  the  shore  and  tied  up  at  the  foot  of  Jones 
street.  The  natural  bank  of  the  river  was  the  only  wharf,  and 
the  loose  sands  of  the  bottoms  the  only  pier.  To  reach  town 
the  omnibus  drove  through  those  sands  to  the  foot  of  Farnam, 
which  was  then,  as  now,  the  principal  street.  As  we  passed 
along,  we  noticed  here  and  there  a  vacant  building,  which,  with 
the  small  number  of  people  in  sight,  told  plainly  that  business 
and  thrift  were  not  then  at  their  height  in  Omaha.  *  *  * 
The  town  was  reduced  at  that  time  by  the  financial  revulsion  of 
1857,  and  by  an  uncertain  political  future,  to  about  2,500 
inhabitants.  After  securing  temporary  accommodations  at  the 
Farnam  House,  on  the  corner  of  Thirteenth  and  Harney  streets, 
I  sought  Mr.  Gaylord,  then  pastor  of  the  First  Congregational 
church,  I  looked  to  him  as  one  who  would  be  in  sympathy  with 
me  in  my  work,  and  I  was  not  disappointed.  He  received 
me  kindly,  yet  with  apparent  reserve.  His  reserve,  however, 
was  in  no  degree  forbidding,  but  a  natural  expression  of 
prudence  and  self-respect.     I  had  devoted  my  life  to  the  cause 


INTERESTING    REMINISCENCES    BY    PROF.    BEALS.         381 

of  public  instruction,  and  after  he  learned  the  object  of  my 
coming  to  Nebraska,  he  gave  me  most  cordial  welcome.  Freely 
and  with  interest  he  entered  into  my  plans  and  made  helpful 
suggestions  as  to  the  best  methods  of  proceeding. 

At  the  east  I  had  been  engaged  only  in  the  public  schools, 
and  desired  to  continue  in  them  at  the  west,  but  employment 
in  the  public  schools  of  Omaha  at  that  time  was  not  possible. 
The  directors  had  used  all  the  money  in  their  hands  to  sustain 
them  during  the  year  just  closed.  They  not  only  had  no  means, 
but  did  not  expect  to  have  enough  to  open  them  again  within 
one  or  two  year's.  Being  compelled  therefore  to  give  up  my 
hope  to  make  an  engagement  with  the  directors,  I  turned  at 
once  to  organize  a  private  school.  In  this  enterprise  I  found 
Mr.  Gajdord  a  valuable  friend.  He  had  unbounded  confidence 
in  the  future  growth  of  the  city  and  in  a  speedy  return  of  its 
prosperity.  He  never  failed  to  encourage,  and  when  possible, 
to  render  substantial  aid.  His  thoughtful  interest  manifested 
itself  in  unlooked  for  ways.  It  was  shown  on  one  afternoon, 
when,  having  occasion  to  go  into  the  country,  he  called  for  me 
to  drive  with  him  to  the  southwest  of  town  to  see  a  pros- 
perous farmer,  who,  he  thought,  without  doubt  would  become 
a  liberal  supporter. 

Mr.  Gay  lord's  interest  in  the  work  of  education  was  of  that 
consistent  and  unquestionable  character,  which  led  to  self-sacri- 
fice. Although  on  memory's  canvass  many  of  the  lines  are 
faded  and  dim,  yet  those  early  scenes  and  events  retain  an 
almost  glowing  warmth  of  coloring.  There  are  found  life- 
forms  which  have  lost  little  of  their  original  distinctness. 
Among  them  is  the  figure  of  him  who  is  the  subject  of  this 
sketch;  around  it,  all  others  seem  to  be  gathered;  to  it,  all 
lines  converge.  In  its  attitude  there  is  dignity,  in  its  aspect 
seriousness;  but  withal  there  is  the  illumination  of  a  smile — 
chastened  and  subdued,  yet  genial  and  assuring:  the  expression 
of  a  sympathetic  and  truthful  nature,  of  an  honest  and  warm 
Christian  heart.  The  figure  is  of  one  who  was  recognized  by 
all  who  knew  him  as  a  true  follower  of  the  Great  Teacher,  and 
known  by  me  to  be  a  firm  friend  of  general  education,  as  an  im- 
portant factor  in  human  improvement  and  man's  redemption. 


382  LIFE   OP   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

By  Mrs.  Seymour,  of  New  London,  Iowa: 

The  country  was  very  new  when  we  came  to  Danville,  but 
there  were  some  attractions.  One  of  these  was  a  family  of  Con- 
gregationalists — that  of  Mr.  Samuel  B.  Jaggar,  who  had  come 
from  Connecticut  with  horses  and  wagon,  bringing  with  his 
family  his  aged  mother.  We  hoped  there  might  be  a  Congre- 
gational church  there  at  some  time,  and  were  very  happy  when 
Mr.  Gay  lord  came  and  preached  to  us.  We  give  the  names  of 
the  twenty-six  members  who  composed  the  church  at  its  organi- 
zation, June  29,  1839:  S.  B.  Jaggar  and  wife,  Cordelia  Ter- 
rell, Harriet  C.  Hall,  M.  Corning,  Anna  Messenger,  A.  Higley, 
R.  Gay  lord  and  wife,  H.  Seymour  and  wife,  T.  K.  Hurlburt, 
E.  Messenger,  Peter  More,  L.  A.  More,  B.  Mathews,  Lydia 
Humphrey,  J.  C.  Hitchcock  and  wife,  J.  H.  Hitchcock  and 
wife,  M.  Miner  and  wife,  Rachel,  Irena,  and  Clark  Hitchcock. 
*  *  *  Mr.  Gay  lord  was  greatly  beloved  by  his  people,  and 
when  he  went  to  another  field,  we  were  truly  left  as  sheep  with- 
out a  shepherd,  and  it  caused  much  heartfelt  sorrow. 

By  Mrs.  U.  C.  Bosworth  : 

To  a  Catholic  priest  is  ascribed  the  sentiment :  Give  me  a 
child  till  he  is  eight  years  old  and  I  care  not  who  has  him  after- 
wards. Not  always  is  it  given  to  one  to  realize  in  his  own  case 
the  molding  influence  of  childhood's  impressions.  But  in 
looking  over  Mr.  Gaylord's  papers  and  sermons  the  other  day, 
the  words,  the  expressions,  the  thoughts,  fell  into  the  old 
imprint  which  they  had  left  upon  the  child's  mind  long  years 
ago,  and  I  suddenly  recognized  that,  though  I  had  not  heard 
him  preach  since  I  was  ten  years  old,  the  current  of  my  life  had 
taken  direction  and  character  from  the  deep  channel,  in  the 
impressible  mind  of  the  little  girl,  through  which  had  poured 
the  tide  of  his  strong  thought. 

One  of  the  Children  of  the  Danville  Church. 

My  Dear  Mrs.  Gaylord: — Since  the  day  that  brought  the 
news  of  j'our  great  sorrow,  I  have  often  thought  of  you  very 


EXPRESSION   OP   CHRISTIAN   SYMPATHY.  383 

tenderly  ;  and  would  have  come  to  37ou  sooner,  in  this  poor 
way,  could  I  have  found  words  to  express  my  sense  of  your 
loss,  and  my  sympathy  for  it.  Now,  I  can  only  say,  I  know 
what  death  is,  and  know  how  hard  it  is  to  take  up  the  burden  of 
every-day  life  after  a  dear  helper  has  gone.  Shelter  and  comfort 
are  found  in  the  great  Love  that  never  forgets.  May  that  Love 
cover  you,  until,  in  quiet  peace,  you  reach  the  home,  where 
hands  interclasped  here,  shall  be  again  united,  where  in  immor- 
tal youth  and  never  lessening  joy,  you  stand  in  the  light  of  a 
morning  that  shall  know  no  evening. 

With  sincerest  loving  sympathy, 

Mart  R.  Allixg. 
Springfield  ,  Massachusetts  . 


XII. 


BY    THE    WAY. 


1812-1880. 


2G 


Oh,  who  can  reckon  up 
The  drops  of  life's  strange  cup, 
The  changes  of  our  lot, 
Remembered  or  forgot: 
The  noons  and  nights, 
The  shades  and  lights, 
The  ripples  of  the  heart, 
The  comfort  and  the  smart  ? 

He  only  numbers  them 

Who  counts  each  starry  gem. 

— Bonar. 

He  sought  the  scattered  people  of  his  God, 
To  preach  to  them  of  Jesus. 

—  Willis. 


I  hear  a  song,  a  song  so  sweet 

I  try  all  vainly  to  repeat 

Its  melody,  and,  failing,  say, 

"  I'll  sing  it,  if  God  wills  some  day  ! " 

Some  day,  when  journeying  is  done, 

When  earth  is  lost  and  heaven  is  won. 

— Selected. 


Let  a  man  be  firmly  principled  in  his  religion,  he  niay  travel  from 
the  tropics  to  the  poles,  and  it  will  not  catch  cold  on  the  journey. 

— Selected. 


Our  times  are  in  God's  hands,  and  all  our  days 

Are  as  our  needs;  for  shadow  as  for  sun 

Our  thanks  are  due,  since  that  is  best,  which  is. 

— Selected, 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Gleanings  and  Incidents. 

Mr.  Gaylord  as  a  Sermonizer — Funeral  Sermon  of  L.  S.  Jaggar — 
Characteristics— Incidents — Thoughts  and  Sayings  —  Memorial 
Sermon,  March  20,  1870— Letter  to  Denmark  Association— Mem- 
orial Sermon,  May  7,  1876  —  Funeral  Sermon  op  Col.  William 
Kline— Last  Sermon,  January  4,  1880— Nebraska — Education — 
fontanelle  college— norfolk — miscellaneous. 

MR.  Gaylord  was  pre-eminently  a  Bible  Christian,  a  Bible 
student,  and  a  Bible  preacher.  He  believed  in  Christ 
as  a  Divine  Savior,  whose  atonement  was  all-sufficient  to 
save  a  lost  world.  As  a  preacher  he  was  practical,  clear, 
forcible  and  thoroughly  in  earnest ;  always  aiming  in  every 
sermon  to  show  his  hearers  the  true  way  of  salvation.  It 
was  in  Omaha  that  one  said  to  him  :  "  I  never  heard  you 
preach  a  sermon,  and  I  hear  nearly  all,  that  did  not  help 
me  in  some  way."  It  was  also  in  Omaha  that  a  good 
Baptist  deacon,  who  attended  the  Sabbath  evening  services, 
once  took  him  by  the  hand  after  meeting,  and  said,  "  I  think 
that  sermon  will  please  the  Master."  In  Jaiapa,  Mr.  S.,  a 
Baptist  brother,  who  attended  the  Congregational  church, 
of  which  his  wife  was  a  member,  frequently  responded 
during  the  sermon.  This,  Mr.  Gaylord  enjoyed,  and  often 
said  it  was  a  help  to  him. 

When  preparation  was  being  made  to  leave  the  field  in 
Iowa  for  a  new  one  in  Nebraska,  a  box  of  written  sermons, 
the  product  of  seventeen  years  of  labor,  was  looked  over. 
Some  were  saved,  and  the  rest,  at  different  times,  consigned 
to  the  flames,  with  the  remark  :  "  Poor  things !  I  wonder 
if  they  ever  gave  as  much  light  before."  When  remonstrated 
with  for  destroying  the  hard  work  of  so  many  years,  he 
replied :     "  In  going  to  a  new  country  I  may  not  have  a 


388  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

suitable  place  to  study,  and  the  temptation  will  be  to  neglect 
it.  By  destroying  these  I  shall,  to  some  extent,  put  this 
temptation  out  of  my  way." 

It  was  his  practice  for  many  }rears,  to  prepare  one  written 
and  one  extemporaneous  discourse  for  each  Sabbath.  As 
far  as  practicable,  he  made  thorough  preparation  for  the 
latter. 

He  was  a  great  admirer  of  Paul,  and  loved  to  think  the 
time  would  come  when  he  could  sit  by  his  side  on  one  of 
the  heavenly  hills,  and  they  would  have  a  good  talk  together. 

He  advocated  the  doctrine,  which  he  fully  believed  to  be 
a  Bible  truth,  that  the  condition  of  every  human  being  is 
unalterably  fixed  at  death.  This  belief  caused  him  to  feel  a 
deep  anxiety  and  to  put  forth  most  earnest  efforts  on  behalf 
of  those  to  whom  he  ministered,  and  such  was  his  feeling  of 
responsibility,  that,  if  they  were  still  unsaved,  he  blamed 
himself  as  having  been  unfaithful.  Sometimes,  on  returning 
from  meeting,  he  would  say  in  a  tone  of  much  sadness :  "  I 
wonder  if  that  sermon  will  do  any  good." 

Mrs.  E.  R.  Kline  says: 

As  a  preacher,  Mr.  G-.  exhibited  an  intimate  knowledge  and 
clear  conception  of  Scriptural  truth,  rendering  his  sermons 
highly  edifying  to  the  Christian,  and  admonitory  to  the  sinner. 
Sound  reasoning  and  kind  expostulation  were  the  prominent 
characteristics,  and  the  intensit}'  of  his  own  feelings  often 
excited  a  sympathetic  emotion  in  his  audience.  In  private  con- 
versation as  well  as  in  preaching  he  dwelt  much  upon  the  holi- 
ness and  dignity  of  the  Law  of  God,  showing  conclusively  that 
its  claims  must  be  obeyed  as  an  act  of  justice  to  the  Eternal 
Lawgiver. 

A  few  extracts  from  a  sermon  preached  in  Danville, 
Iowa,  at  the  funeral  of  Mr.  L.  S.  Jaggar,  January  18,  1849, 
from  Isaiah  26:3,  "  Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect  peace, 
whose  mind  is  stayed  on  thee ;  because  he  trusteth  in  thee  " : 


FUNERAL  SERMON  IN  DANVILLE.  389 

The  Gospel  proposes  the  onty  remedy  for  the  trials  of  this 
changing  world,  and  the  only  solace  in  times  of  affliction  and 
distress.  *  *  *  The  truth  in  the  text  is  limited  by  no  time 
and  changed  by  no  circumstances.  Although  it  may  not  be  as 
clearly  discerned  at  one  time  as  at  another,  yet  it  ever  has  stood, 
and  ever  will  stand,  as  unchanged  and  unchangeable  as  the 
Divine  nature.  *  *  *  The  verj^  associations  connected  with 
the  word  peace  bespeak  it  as  something  very  desirable.  It  is 
the  opposite  of  war,  the  opposite  of  contention  and  strife. 
When  man  contends  with  his  fellow  man,  it  fills  him  with  unhap- 
piness,  and  calls  into  action  some  of  the  lower  passions  of  his 
nature.  In  peace,  these  lie  buried  beneath  the  noble  and  more 
lovely  traits  of  character.  But  more  than  this,  man  in  his 
fallen  state,  is  a  restless,  uneas}^,  dissatisfied  creature.  Not 
content  with  the  present,  he  is  ever  reaching  out  for  something 
beyond  his  grasp,  and  often  while  his  cup  is  full  of  blessings,  he 
is  agitated  with  the  fear  of  approaching  evil .  He  feels  that  the 
objects  of  present  enjoyment  are  in  their  very  nature  evanescent, 
and  may  soon  be  gone.  Thus  with  multitudes  it  is  true,  that 
they  are  tossed  upon  life's  stormy  ocean,  with  no  anchor  to 
render  them  secure.  Is  man  doomed  to  this  continually  ?  Must 
the  dark  clouds  of  dreadful  uncertainty  forever  shut  out  the 
enj03^ment  of  comfort  and  happiness?  No.  From  behind  the 
clouds  a  light  shines  so  clearly  as  to  dispel  the  darkness,  and 
kindle  within  the  anxious  soul  the  cheering  influence  of  hope 
and  strong  assurance.  In  the  midst  of  all  the  disappointments 
of  a  changing  world,  God  appears  with  His  unvarying  excel- 
lence, and  invites  His  creatures  to  trust  in  Him.  He  holds  out 
the  bow  of  promise,  and  assures  us  that  he  that  trusteth  in  Him 
is  safe — ' '  for  thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect  peace  whose  mind 
is  stayed  on  thee."  The  peace  here  promised  is  perfect.  In 
the  original  it  is  "  peace- peace."  It  is  perfect  in  kind,  *  *  * 
perfect  in  extent,  *  *  *  perfect  in  duration — for  all  through 
life  it  will  attend  us,  and  in  death's  dark  hour  will  be  present 
and  enable  us  to  shout,  "  O  death  whei*e  is  thy  sting?  O  grave 
where  is  thy  victory?  "  And  in  that  unseen  world,  which  we 
must  soon  enter,  it  will  fill  us  with  unspeakable  joy  and  bless- 
edness. 


390  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

I  will  present  some  examples  of  this  peace,  flowing  from  trust 
in  God.  The  case  of  Abraham  is  exactly  in  point.  He  was 
commanded  to  offer  up  his  beloved  son  Isaac,  the  child  of  prom- 
ise, in  sacrifice.  We  see  him  making  all  the  arrangements  and 
going  forward  to  the  place  appointed  with  the  utmost  calmness. 
There  is  no  agitation.  He  has  an  unwavering  trust  in  God  that 
sustains  him  and  fills  him  with  peace.  And  it  may  not  be  too 
much  to  say  that  these  were  among  the  happiest  hours  of  this 
good  man's  life.  *  *  *  The  three  cast  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar into  the  fiery  furnace;  Daniel  in  the  lion's  den;  Paul  and 
Silas  in  prison,  singing  with  their  feet  fast  in  the  stocks,  are 
beautiful  examples  of  the  influence  of  this  peace;  and  all  down 
the  ages  to  the  present  time,  numberless  instances  might  be 
given  of  those  who  possessed  this  peace,  and  were  sustained  by 
it  in  the  most  trying  circumstances. 

This  truth  opens  to  us  the  only  real  source  of  comfort  and 
strength  in  time  of  affliction.  That  event  in  God's  providence 
which  has  gathered  us  here  to-day,  has  clothed  some  of  you  in 
mourning  and  filled  your  hearts  with  sorrow.  You  mourn  the 
loss  of  an  affectionate  husband  and  father,  one  with  whom  you 
have  long  held  sweet  converse  and  gone  to  the  house  of  God  in 
company.  He  is  no  longer  with  you.  His  lips  are  silent  in 
death,  and  you  are  about  to  bury  his  lifeless  form  out  of  your 
sight.  Nature  feels  the  stroke,  and  the  unbidden  tear  tells  how 
heavily  it  falls  upon  3^011 .  To  the  word  of  God  you  must  go  for 
consolation.  Trust  in  the  Lord.  Look  up  and  see  His  hand 
directing  all  the  events  of  your  lives.  He  appointed  the  time 
and  manner  for  your  friend  to  leave  you,  and  you  may  be 
assured  that  it  is  in  wisdom  and  goodness.  Let  God's  voice 
call  you  to  trust  in  Him,  and  stay  your  minds  on  Him  at  all 
times. 

Death  has  again  entered  our  community  and  taken  one  of 
the  fathers.  It  has  broken  into  the  circle  of  this  church  and 
removed  the  oldest  member  of  the  little  band.  Mr.  Jaggar, 
whose  lifeless  form  is  enclosed  in  yonder  casket,  was  born  on 
Long  Island,  the  3rd  of  September,  1783,  and  was  consequently 
sixty-five  years  of  age  in  November  last.     For  ten  and  one-half 


TRAITS   OP    CHARACTER.  391 

years  he  has  resided  in  this  state  and  in  this  community.  *  * 
Seven  years  ago  last  summer  he  connected  himself  with  the 
Congregational  church ,  and  from  that  time  has  ever  manifested 
the  deepest  interest  in  its  welfare.  Though  feeling  many  in- 
firmities, none  were  more  constant  in  attendance  upon  the  varied 
means  of  grace.  His  seat  was  always  filled  in  the  sanctuary, 
and  in  our  circles  of  prayer  he  loved  to  mingle.  How  often  has 
he  said  within  the  last  few  months,  that  he  had  but  little  time 
to  stay  here!  His  views  upon  some  points  of  doctrine  differed 
from  ours,  yet  he  built  his  hopes  of  salvation  solely  upon  the 
atonement  of  Christ,  and  trusted  in  Him  alone.  In  his  last 
sickness  he  often  said,  "I  have  no  trust  but  in  Christ." 

The  commencement  of  his  illness  was  very  painful,  which 
led  him  to  say,  "What  a  poor  place  to  prepare  for  death!"  He 
lingered  till  the  nineteenth  day,  when  he  was  released  from 
suffering  and  weakness  and  from  all  imperfection  and  sin.  A 
little  more  than  a  year  since,  death  entered  this  family  in  a  very 
sudden  and  unexpected  manner.  Now  it  has  come  again  and 
its  number  is  once  more  diminished.  May  we  all  be  ready  to 
obe}r  the  summons  when  God  shall  call  for  us,  having  our  work 
done,  and  well  done,  so  that  death  shall  be  disarmed  of  its 
terrors . 

Mr.  Gaylord  was  naturally  open-hearted,  honest  and 
outspoken — had  little  patience  with  duplicity  or  deceit,  or 
anything  underhanded.  Being  a  man  of  deep  humility  he 
was  not  ambitious  for  worldly  distinction,  and  would  never 
have  chosen  for  himself  "  a  chief  seat  in  the  synagogue," 
one  of  the  "uppermost  rooms  at  a  feast,"  or  asked  the 
Savior  for  a  seat  "  at  His  right  hand  "  in  an  earthly  king- 
dom. He  had  a  natural  love  of  approbation,  was  sensitive 
to  the  opinions  of  others,  and  could  scarcely  say  with  Paul, 
"  With  me  it  is  a  very  small  thing  to  be  judged  of  man's 
judgment." 

He  left  no  diary  of  daily  personal  experience,  and 
seldom  kept  any  record  of  the  number  of  conversions,  per- 
sons received  into  the  church,  or  weddings  and  funerals,  for 


392  LIFE   OF    REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

he  had  no  time.  "  The  best  men  doing  their  best  work, 
know  peradventure  but  little  of  what  they  are  doing,  and 
the  busiest  lives  often  leave  the  smallest  record  of  what 
they  have  done." 

His  kindness  to  animals  was  proverbial.  In  prosecut- 
ing his  work  as  Superintendent,  he  sometimes  drove  his 
ponies  fifty  miles  in  a  day,  but  if  possible  would  stop  at 
noon,  and  have  the  harness  taken  off  that  they  might  be  well 
rested,  besides  being  well  fed.  All  of  the  brute  creation 
about  his  home  were  domesticated.  Toward  the  Indians, 
who  were  then  very  numerous  and  often  troublesome,  he 
was  always  patient  and  pitiful. 

As  has  been  stated,  Mr.  Gaylord  was  naturally  of  a 
cheerful,  sunny  disposition,  inclined  to  look  on  the  bright 
side.  It  was  but  seldom  that  he  went  down  into  the  dark 
valley  of  doubt  and  discouragement,  but,  once  entering  this 
gloomy  place  he  sometimes  kept  on  until  he  had  reached 
such  depths  of  darkness,  as  to  be  almost  literally  in  the 
"  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death."  It  was  on  one  of  these 
rare  occasions,  when  more  weary  and  worn  in  his  work 
than  usual,  that  he  began  to  mourn  in  bitterness  of  soul 
over  the  unfruitfulness  of  his  past  life.  As  he  looked  back 
over  the  years  and  saw  how  little  he  had  done  for  God,  he 
was  humbled  in  the  dust,  and  his  spirit  weighed  down  with 
an  unutterable  sadness. 

But  "like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children  so  the  Lord 
pitieth  them  that  fear  Him,"  and  the  Lord  knew  just  what 
His  servant  needed  at  this  time.  Within  a  few  days  three 
letters  were  received,  one  from  a  lady  who  had  given  herself 
to  missionary  work,  the  others  from  two  young  men  who 
had  already  commenced  preaching  the  gospel.  These  had 
been  members  of  his  flock  in  Danville,  reared  under  his 
ministry,  and  wished  to  assure  him  that  whatever  good  they 
might  do,  would  be  the  result  of  his  faithful  efforts  to  lead 
them  to  Christ.     And  with  these  letters  the  Comforter  came, 


VARIED   EXPERIENCES.  393 

and  rolled   the  heavy  clouds  away  from  the  discouraged 
worker. 

In  going  down  to  Nebraska  City,  on  the  Iowa  side,  a 
deep  slough  was  encountered  which  must  be  crossed.  A 
man  with  a  team  was  about  to  make  the  attempt,  and  Mr. 
Gaylord  waited  to  see  how  he  succeeded  before  driving  in. 
But  the  man's  horses  refused  to  undertake  what  looked  so 
formidable.  Whipping  had  no  effect,  and  the  driver  began 
to  swear  at  them.  Then  they  plunged  forward  in  a  great 
hurry,  and  Mr.  Gaylord  said  to  him :  "  I  don't  wonder  that 
they  started,  to  hear  such  language — I  should  think  they 
would  try  to  get  away  from  it  as  fast  as  possible !  " 

Returning  home  at  one  time  after  being  snow-bound  two 
or  three  days,  he  came  in,  saying :  "  Please  get  me  something 
to  eat  soon."  The  sound  of  his  voice  and  one  look  hastened 
the  fulfillment  of  this  request.  He  had  stayed  where  there 
was  not  much  food,  but  what  there  was  had  been  cheerfully 
shared  with  him. 

In  those  early  days  of  labor  in  Nebraska,  musquitoes 
were  plenty  and  well  developed  in  the  Missouri  and  Platte 
valleys,  and  he  often  suffered  much  by  coming  in  contact 
with  them.  On  one  occasion,  being  entertained  for  the 
night  at  Decatur,  a  bed  was  made  for  him  on  the  floor. 
Then  some  chairs  were  placed  around  it,  over  which  the 
lady  of  the  house  spread  musquito  netting.  For  this  pro- 
tection he  was  truly  grateful,  but  the  pests  covered  the 
netting  so  thickly  that  their  music  kept  him  awake. 

Soon  after  Governor  and  Mrs.  Richardson  had  removed 
to  Twenty-second  and  Webster  streets,  we  started  out  one 
pleasant  evening  to  call  on  them  in  their  new  home. 
Twenty-second  street  was  then  unimproved,  and  those  beau- 
tiful residences  which  are  now  so  numerous  had  not  made 
their  appearance.  North  of  the  high  school  building  and 
on  the  west  side  of  the  road  sumac  and  high  weeds  had 


394  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

undisturbed  possession.  Mr.  Gaylord  was  greatly  interested 
in  astronomy,  and  always  loved  to  call  attention  to  the 
heavenly  bodies.  As  we  walked  slowly  on  he  began  to 
point  out  the  constellations  and  to  talk  of  them  in  a  manner 
to  excite  much  interest.  He  soon  became  so  absorbed  as  to 
wander  away  from  the  path  without  being  aware  of  it,  and 
we  were  speedily  entangled  amongst  the  weeds  and  brush. 
Almost  hopelessly  bewildered,  it  was  a  long  time  before  the 
road  was  found  and  Ave  were  able  to  pursue  the  right  course 
toward  our  destination. 

Mr.  Gaylord  was  never  backward  in  speaking  to  busi- 
ness men  on  the  subject  of  personal  religion  when  a  fitting 
time  and  opportunit}7  presented,  but  was  watchful  for  such 
occasions,  and  careful  to  improve  them.  We  believe  there 
are  those  living  who  can  testify  to  his  faithfulness  in  this 
respect. 

His  generous  and  sympathetic  nature  was  often  mani- 
fested in  acts  of  kindness,  giving  when  he  had  the  means  to 
give,  but  always  bestowing  kind  words  and  help  when 
opportunity  offered.  Mr.  A.,  who  remained  by  his  bedside 
till  the  last,  said,  with  tears,  "  He  was  the  best  friend  I  ever 
had."  During  that  last  week  of  his  life  a  two-horse  wagon, 
which  had  brought  a  family  to  meeting,  was  taken  apart  in 
the  evening  by  some  mischievous  boys.  After  service  he 
assisted  the  owner  in  putting  it  together,  staying  with  him 
till  he  could  go  home  safely. 

THOUGHTS  AND  SAYINGS. 

Knowledge  is  important  for  a  minister,  but  holiness  of  heart 
and  life  are  indispensable. 

Too  many  Christians  in  these  days  want  to  go  to  heaven  in 
palace  cars,  and  they  sometimes  run  off  the  track  and  are 
wrecked.  It  is  safer  to  go  on  foot  like  Bunyan's  Christian  and 
his  friends. 


GATHERED    THOUGHTS.  395 

He  used  to  say  it  was  hard  to  preach  to  a  congregation 
where  there  was  no  singing,  and  often  lamented  his  own  inabil- 
ity to  sing,  but  knew  he  would  be  able  to  sing  in  heaven. 

Satan  is  almost  sure  to  get  into  a  choir.  He  hates  the  good 
influence  of  music  in  religious  worship,  and  does  what  he  can  to 
spoil  it  bjr  arousing  jealousies,  and  bickerings,  and  differences 
of  opinion  among  the  members. 

Dick,  in  his  "Philosophy,"  draws  a  comparison  between 
love  in  the  moral  world  and  attraction  in  the  natural  world. 
But  there  is  one  point,  at  least,  in  which  his  comparison  will 
not  hold  good,  for  the  power  of  love  does  not  diminish  as  the 
square  of  the  distance  increases. 

I  have  many  serious  thoughts  in  regard  to  the  tendency 
among  Christians  to  spend  their  money  in  luxury  and  self- 
indulgence.  It  seems  to  be  God's  plan  to  extend  His  cause  by 
the  help  of  His  creatures  —  especially  His  children,  and  His 
blessing  will  follow  the  right  use  of  the  means  He  puts  into 
their  hands.  I  am  convinced  that  there  must  be  a  change  in 
the  feelings  and  motives  which  influence  Christians,  before  the 
church  can  make  rapid  advances  in  the  world. 

We  sometimes  know  when  we  are  in  danger,  but  never  when 
we  are  not. 

He  who  made  the  heart  can  go  down  into  its  depths,  and 
pour  in  the  oil  of  joy  and  comfort,  can  administer  the  balm  of 
consolation  as  no  human  being  can  begin  to  do. 

The  great  day  will  be  a  revealer  of  secrets.  But  while  this 
will  bring  anguish  to  multitudes,  it  may  and  ivill  bring  joy  to 
the  Christian.  How  often  in  this  world  does  the  child  of  God 
suffer  unmerited  reproach,  have  his  motives  impugned,  or 
aspersions  cast  upon  his  character.  Perhaps  he  may  suffer 
injury  or  neglect  from  the  very  persons  whose  welfare  he  has 
promoted  by  self-denial,  for  whom  he  has  prayed  every  day, 
and  to  whom  he  has  often  done  good  in  a  private,  unostenta- 
tious manner.  The  book  of  God  will  show  how  much  patience 
and  self-denial  he  has  practiced  toward  others  for  Christ's  sake, 
and  the  reward  to  be  his  has  been  noted  down. 


396  LIFE   OF   KEUBEN   GAYLORD. 

Well,  the  Lord  knows  that  ive  did  that  work,  and  I  wish  He 
knew  we  had  done  more  than  we  have. 

There  is  one  kind  of  war  which  always  ends  in  victory.  In 
battles  between  contending  armies  it  is  often  doubtful  which 
side  will  win.  There  are  no  such  doubts  in  the  Christians'  war 
fare.  They  are  as  sure  to  come  off  victorious  as  there  is  a  God 
in  Heaven.  Paul  says,  "  Thanks  be  to  God,  who  giveth  us  the 
victor}^  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

We  must  learn  to  meet  all  men  on  common  ground,  if  we 
would  be  useful  to  them.  80  far  as  is  right  we  should  allow 
them  their  peculiar  notions  and  views,  and  learn,  like  Paul,  to 
"  become  all  things  to  all  men  that  we  may,  by  all  means,  save 
some." 

I  am  not  surprised  that  you  love  astronomy.  It  is  the  most 
magnificent  of  all  the  sciences.  No  other  affords  such  a  range 
for  the  imagination,  or  is  so  well  calculated  to  impress  us  with 
a  sense  of  our  own  littleness.  No  wonder  David  exclaimed, 
"When  I  consider  the  heavens,  the  work  of  thy  lingers,  the 
moon  and  stars  which  thou  hast  ordained,  what  is  man  that  thou 
art  mindful  of  him?  "  It  is  a  satisfaction  to  reflect  that,  if  we 
ever  get  to  Heaven,  we  shall  prosecute  this  study  under  a  Divine 
Teacher . 

MEMORIAL    SERMON  .* 

John  9:45 — "I  must  work  the  works  of  Him  that  sent 
me,"  etc. 

Psalms  48:12,  13 — "Walk  about  Zion  and  go  round  about 
her;  tell  the  towers  thereof.  Mark  ye  well  her  bulwarks,  con- 
sider her  palaces,  that  ye  may  tell  it  to  the  generations  follow- 
ing." 

This  day  brings  us  to  a  point  of  time  when  we  are  called 
upon  to  pause,  look  back  and  recall  the  lessons  of  the  past,  and 
lay   to   heart  the  teachings  of    divine   Providence.      We   are 


*Delivered  in  the  Congregational  church  at  Omaha,  Sunday,  March  20, 1870,  by  Rev. 
Reuben  Gaylord,  founder  of  the  church. 

[Many  portions  of  this  sermon  and  another  memorial  sermon  given  in  this  chapter 
are  omitted,  as  the  facts  related  are  contained  elsewhere  in  the  book.] 


HISTORY   OF   THE   FIRST   CHURCH.  397 

assembled  to-day  as  a  church  and  congregation  for  the  last  time 
to  worship  in  this  house  built  for  and  dedicated  to  the  service 
of  the  triune  God.  To  me,  perhaps  appropriately,  is  assigned 
the  duty  of  delivering  the  farewell  discourse.  As  I  was  per- 
mitted to  be  the  agent,  in  the  hands  of  the  Great  Master,  of 
gathering  this  church,  and  nursing  it  in  its  early  years;  as  I 
was  the  leader  to  introduce  them  to  this  house,  and  preached 
the  first  sermon  in  it,  so  am  I  asked  to  preach  the  last. 

And,  as  when  we  stand  around  the  lifeless  dust  of  a  dear 
friend,  we  love  to  rehearse  his  history  and  associate  with  him 
all  that  is  valued,  so  it  is  not  inappropriate  for  us,  in  taking  a 
long  farewell  of  this  place  so  dear  to  some  of  us,  hallowed  by 
so  many  tender  emotions,  to  go  back  to  early  days,  and  let  the 
intervening  scenes  pass  in  review  before  us.  I  have  selected 
the  two  texts  named  as  fitted  to  suggest  such  thoughts  as 
should  crowd  upon  us  to-day. 

Feeling  sure  that  you  will  indulge  me  in  some  personal  history 
on  this  occasion,  I  have  chosen  the  first  text  as  expressive  of 
the  feelings  that  led  me  to  enter  upon  the  work  of  preaching 
the  gospel  in  Nebraska.  Every  man  has  a  work,  a  mission.  It 
is  just  as  true  in  a  sense,  of  every  man  now,  as  it  was  of  Christ, 
who  uttered  these  words  in  reference  to  himself.     *       *       * 

On  Christmas  day,  fourteen  years  ago  last  December,  we 
crossed  the  Missouri  on  the  ice,  and  took  up  our  abode  for  some 
weeks  in  an  unfinished  house  on  Capitol  Avenue.  This  was  the 
best  we  could  find  in  the  Omaha  of  1855.  The  second  legisla- 
ture of  the  territory  was  in  session  here  at  that  time,  as  Secretary 
Cuming,  the  acting  Governor,  had  made  Omaha  the  capital. 
This  place  remained  the  seat  of  the  territorial  government  until 
we  became  a  state ,  when  it  was  removed  to  Lincoln .      *      * 

In  my  commission  I  was  guaranteed  a  salary  of  $600  for 
one  year.  No  one  who  remembers  the  cost  of  living  at  that 
time  will  doubt  that  it  took  more  than  twice  that  amount  to 
support  my  family. 

On  the  4th  of  May,  1856,  at  three  o'clock  p.  m.,  in  the 
Council  Chamber,  I  organized  the  first  Congregational  church 
in  Nebraska,  with  nine  members,  eight  Congregationalists  and 
one  Presbj'terian . 


398  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

At  that  time  the  population  of  Omaha  was  about  five  hun- 
dred, and  the  first  house  on  this  plateau,  a  log  cabin,  built  in 
August,  1854,  was  then  standing.  It  was  the  old  claim  house, 
and  when  the  city  was  surveyed  it  came  in  Jackson  street,  near 
Twelfth. 

Having  thus  revived  our  recollections  of  those  early  days, 
and  gone  back  to  the  germ  of  this  church  and  society,  "  Let  us 
walk  about  Zion,  tell  the  towers  thereof,  consider  her  palaces, 
that  we  nniy  tell  it  to  the  generation  following." 

Every  church  has  a  history  that  should  be  handed  down; 
and  a  church,  situated  as  this  is  at  the  very  foundation  of  a  new 
state,  on  the  great  highway  of  nations,  if  faithful,  has  an  inter- 
esting history.  Early  in  the  year  1856  we  resolved  to  arise  and 
build.  A  location  had  been  provided  for  us  through  the  fore- 
sight of  Rev.  G.  G.  Rice,  then  laboring  at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa. 
He  selected  the  site  of  this  present  building,  and  the  ferry  com- 
pany— the  original  proprietors  of  this  city — donated  it  for  a 
Congregational  church,  and  put  the  title  into  his  hands,  which 
he  passed  over  to  us  when  we  Avere  read}'  to  take  possession. 
At  that  time  a  location  more  immediately  among  the  people 
would  have  been  better  for  us,  as  the  settlement  was  mostly  on 
the  plateau  between  the  bluffs  and  the  river.  But  when  we 
determined  to  build,  who  should  gather  the  means  and  see  that 
the  work  was  done?  Our  business  men  were  too  much  occupied 
to  give  their  time  to  such  a  work.  The  minister  must  do  it,  or 
it  will  go  undone.  So  I  circulated  a  paper,  raised  a  subscrip- 
tion once,  twice,  and  I  believe  three  times,  collected  the  same, 
made  contracts  with  the  workmen,  and  attended  to  gathering 
materials.  That  was  no  easy  matter.  The  saw  mill  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  city,  then  owned  by  Mr.  Salisbury,  an  old 
settler,  was  so  besieged  by  those  wishing  to  build,  that  to  get 
the  timbers  as  fast  as  they  were  needed ,  it  was  necessary  to  have 
a  team  at  hand,  and  watch  the  timbers  as  they  were  thrown 
from  the  mill,  load  them  at  once,  and  draw  them  away  to  secure 
them  at  all.  This  I  did  repeatedhy,  while  a  member  of  my 
family  was  lying  sick  with  fever,  needing  my  attention,  which 
I  was  able  to  give  only  as  Dr.  Miller   (my  family  ph}rsician) 


EARLY    CHURCH    BUILDING    IN    OMAHA.  399 

kindly  volunteered  to  take  my  place  in  charge  of  the  building. 
While  this  work  was  going  on  we  were  without  any  regular 
place  for  meeting.  Occasionally  service  was  held  in  the  dining 
room  of  the  Douglas  House.  By  the  26th  of  October  we  had 
so  far  progressed  with  our  building  as  to  be  able  to  occupy  the 
vestry  or  basement  room  for  worship ,  and  six  were  added  to  our 
membership.  There  and  then  we  reorganized  our  Sabbath 
school,  with  Mr.  Kellom  as  superintendent. 

During  that  autumn  our  youngest  son  drooped,  and  after  a 
lingering  sickness  was  laid  away  in  his  grave  in  the  month  of 
November.  In  the  year  1857  the  Boyd  brothers  finished  the 
carpenter  work  on  this  building,  the  painting  and  graining  of 
the  seats  was  done,  and  the  spire  crowned  with  ball,  vane  and 
rod,  and  all  being  in  readiness,  on  the  9th  day  of  August  of  that 
year  the  dedication  sermon  was  preached,  from  Psalms  90:16-17, 
1 '  Let  thy  work  appear  unto  thy  servants  and  thy  glory  unto 
their  children.  And  let  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  our  God  be 
upon  us;  and  establish  thou  the  work  of  our  hands  upon  us;  yea 
the  work  of  our  hands  establish  thou  it." 

In  1858  there  was  a  marked  degree  of  religious  interest, 
and  again  in  1860.  The  latter  revival  was  the  outgrowth  of  a 
ministerial  prayer  meeting,  leading  to  a  union  meeting  partici- 
pated in  by  all  the  churches  in  the  city .  It  was  held  every  night 
for  several  weeks,  first  in  this  house  and  then  in  the  Methodist 
church . 

The  Episcopal  church  began  its  work  in  the  summer  of  1856, 
originating  also  in  the  old  State  House,  next  after  the  organiza- 
tion of  ours.  In  June,  1857,  an  Old  School  Presbyterian  church 
was  formed,  with  Rev.  Mr.  Bergen  as  its  minister,  for  a  season, 
and  a  New  School  Presbyterian  church  was  gathered  in  Decem- 
ber, 1860,  taking  a  portion  of  its  members  from  this  church. 
In  the  spring  of  1864,  as  I  was  worn  down  bjr  constant  labor 
here  and  in  the  region — there  being  almost  no  laborers  in  this 
territory — I  asked,  and  the  church  gave  me  a  vacation  for 
travel  and  rest. 

While  absent  I  consented  to  accept  the  appointment  of  agent 
of  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society  for  Nebraska  and 


400  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

western  Iowa,  and  in  the  autumn  after  my  return,  at  the  close 
of  my  engagement  with  this  people  I  resigned  mj*  charge  of 
this  church.  Including  the  original  nine,  I  received  into  mem- 
bership eighty  in  all,  nineteen  of  them  on  profession  of  faith  in 
Christ. 

In  building  this  house  we  placed  it  purposely  on  the  rear  of 
the  lot,  near  the  alley,  so  as  to  leave  room  for  a  larger  and 
better  building  at  some  future  time .  There  is  a  space  of  ninety- 
five  feet  between  this  building  and  Farnam  street.  I  have 
alwaj'S  regretted  that  the  original  plan  was  not  carried  out. 
But  its  being  occupied  as  it  has  been  by  the  parsonage,  and  a 
debt  incurred  in  erecting  it,  which  always  tends  to  increase  rather 
than  diminish,  has  led  to  that  action  which  now  compels  us  to 
retire  from  this  spot,  hallowed  by  many  tender  associations, 
and  to  go  forth,  not  knowing  where  our  resting  place  will  be. 

I  must  not  omit  saying  that  we  were  liberall}'  assisted  in  the 
work  of  construction  by  the  Congregational  Union,  to  which, 
and  the  A.  II.  M.  S.,  we  are  greatly  indebted.  In  accepting 
the  work  thus  providentially  thrown  upon  me  I  determined  to 
know  nothing  among  you  save  Christ  and  him  crucified.  I  was 
cheered  and  encouraged  by  the  growth  and  prosperit}^  of  the 
first  years  here.  Many  young  men  found  seats  in  this  sanctuary, 
and  attentive  congregations  met  here  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath. 
Then  came  daj^s  of  darkness;  in  the  reverses  of  '57  and  '58 
ma.ny  left  the  place,  and  it  seemed  almost  a  struggle  for  life. 
But  in  the  darkest  hours  I  never  lost  faith  in  Omaha's  future, 
for  I  felt  sure  that  here  at  no  distant  day  must  be  a  large  city, 
and  that  the  prospect  warranted  sustaining  the  church.  For 
years  I  felt  the  need  of  business  men  in  the  church  and  society, 
who  were  willing  to  give  time  to  attend  to  its  secular  affairs. 
The  presence  of  such  helpers  would  have  lifted  from  me  a  heavy 
burden . 

I  labored,  and  other  men  entered  into  my  labors.  When  I 
closed  there  was  no  debt  except  to  the  Congregational  Union, 
and  that  ought  to  be  repaid  at  some  time.  I  never  favored  this 
society  incurring  liabilities  till  the  means  were  pledged  to  meet 
them.     When  the  people  could  not  pay  their  subscriptions  for 


THIRTIETH    ANNIVERSARY   IOWA    ASSOCIATION.  401 

my  salary,  I  released  them  at  the  end  of  the  year;  used  my  own 
means  when  I  could  get  them  by  selling  property,  or  went  with- 
out. If  I  had  not  made  sacrifices  of  this  kind  I  might  be  a  rich 
man  today.  It  is  doubtless  best  for  some  reason  that  I  should 
not  be. 

The  work  of  the  ministry  has  always  been  1113'  work,  and  no 
other  since  I  commenced  preaching.  I  have  never  mixed  up 
secular  affairs  with  it .  Those  who  were  present  and  have  known 
my  life  here,  can  bear  me  witness  in  this.  I  have  always  felt 
that  if  a  man  was  called  to  preach  the  gospel,  he  should  give 
himself  wholly  to  it  as  long  as  he  is  able,  not  going  into  secular 
business.  If  a  man  is  sent  of  God  to  do  His  work,  he  should  do 
it  as  long  as  he  can  and  do  it  well.  I  may  add  what  I  might 
have  said  elsewhere,  that  I  came  here  at  the  age  of  fortj^-three, 
in  perfect  health,  full  of  enthusiasm  to  do  the  work  of  Him  that 
sent  me. 

Had  we  avoided  this  debt  which  is  upon  us,  we  might  today 
be  in  possession  of  perhaps  the  choicest  church  location  in  this 
young  city.  But  as  you  go  forth  to  meet  here  no  more,  allow 
me  to  express  the  hope  that  you  will  so  seek  divine  wisdom  that 
you  may  be  guided  to  a  career  of  prosperity  in  the  future  that 
will  enable  this  church  to  fulfill  her  high  mission  in  this  great 
center  of  business  and  trade.  I  want  to  sa}T  that  I  have  borne 
this  church  on  my  heart  for  many  years.  It  is  and  has  been 
veiy  dear  to  me,  and  I  pray  that  it  ma}^  long  live  to  shed  the 
fragrance  of  a  holy  example  far  and  wide. 

I  have  had  much  comfort  in  this  house  in  ministering  to  you 
in  the  gospel.  I  have  also  had  hours  of  deep  anxiety  for  precious 
souls,  and  rejoiced  over  some  born  into  the  kingdom.  But  the 
work  is  done,  and  whether  I  shall  ever  address  you  again  is 
known  only  to  Him  with  whom  is  all  knowledge. 

May  the  blessing  of  God  ever  rest  upon  you.     Amen. 

Omaha,  Nebraska,  October  22,  1873. — Dear  Brethren  of 
the  Denmark  Association:  I  have  received  notice  that  you 
propose  to  celebrate  the  thirtieth  anniversary  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  your  body  on  the  28th  and  29th  days  of  this  month, 
.also  an  invitation  from  the  committee  of  arrangements  to  be 


402  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

present.  Finding  it  impracticable  to  be  with  jtou  at  the  time 
specified,  I  send  words  of  greeting  and  give  such  historical 
reminiscences  of  the  Association  as  may  occur  to  me  at  this  time 
It  is  well  to  gather  up  the  scraps  of  history  and  hand  them 
down  to  those  who  will  soon  take  our  places,  and  pleasant  to  go 
back  in  memory  to  those  early  days,  and  from  the  small  begin- 
nings trace  the  outgrowth  and  the  harvests  that  have  been 
gathered.  Truly  "the  little  one  has  become  a  thousand,  and 
the  small  one  a  strong  nation."  It  is  appropriate  to  hold  your 
meeting  in  Denmark,  where  the  Congregational  famiby  first 
established  itself  west  of  the  Mississippi.  It  was  in  the  autumn 
of  1838  that  I  first  visited  Denmark,  and  was  the  guest  of  Rev. 
Asa  Turner,  then  living  in  a  small  shanty,  a  little  east  of  the 
present  church  building.  While  there  I  attended  a  prayer 
meeting  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Fox,  if  I  recollect  aright.  It  was 
an  occasion  of  peculiar  interest  to  me.  The  church  in  Den- 
mark was  then  the  only  Congregational  organization  in  the  ter- 
ritoiy.  The  next  church  was  formed  by  me  at  Danville,  and 
in  December,  1839,  I  organized  the  church  at  Fairfield,  and 
in  August  following  the  one  at  Farmington — begun  by  Bro. 
Turner. 

The  time  seemed  then  to  have  come  for  taking  steps  to 
organize  an  Iowa  association.  Accordingly  I  made  a  journey  to 
Jacksonville,  Illinois,  to  attend  a  meeting  of  the  Illinois  Asso- 
ciation, and  obtain  letters  of  dismission  for  Bro.  Turner  and 
myself  to  unite  in  an  association  which  we  proposed  to  form  in 
Iowa.  In  November  following  we  met  at  Denmark ,  and  organized 
the  Iowa  Congregational  Association  with  three  churches,  Den- 
mark, Danville  and  Fairfield,  and  three  ministers,  Revs.  Turner,. 
Gay  lord  and  Reed.  Rev.  Charles  Burnham,  a  Licentiate,  was 
present.  There  was  the  germ  of  all  that  has  since  spread  over,, 
not  only  Iowa,  but  the  vast  region  that  stretches  away  toward 
the  setting  sun.  Revs.  Wm.  Carter,  Wm.  Kirby  and  Mr. 
Morris,  from  Illinois,  were  present  and  assisted  in  the  interest- 
ing services.  These  have  all  been  called  away  by  death,  while- 
those  ministers  who  were  the  original  members  still  live,  yet 
not  all  of  them  in  the  state  of  their  adoption.     The  work  grew 


CHANGES    OF    THIRTY    YEARS.  403 

rapidly  on  our  hands,  and  our  churches  multiplied  until  we  al- 
most sank  under  the  vastness  of  the  field,  no  one  coming  to  our 
help  until  the  autumn  of  1843.  Then  it  pleased  the  great  Head 
of  the  church  to  incline  a  goodly  number  of  students  in  the 
Theological  Seminary  at  Andover  to  come  in  a  body  to  Iowa. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  association,  held  that  year  at  Iowa 
City,  action  was  taken  to  divide  the  territory  into  two  minor 
associations.  That  portion  south  was  called  together  at  Den- 
mark, November  2,  1843,  and  then  and  there  we  organized  an 
association  for  the  southern  portion  of  the  territory.  At  the 
same  time  we  ordained  those  of  the  young  brethren  from  And- 
over not  previously  ordained .  The  association  took  the  name 
of  Denmark  from  the  place  where  Congregationalism  in  Iowa 
was  born.  This,  to  the  few  brethren  on  the  ground,  as  I  can 
testif}',  was  a  day  of  gladness  and  rejoicing. 

I  remember,  dear  brethren,  with  gratitude  those  years  in 
which  I  was  associated  with  you  in  labor.  But  God  called  me 
to  another  field,  and  in  the  eighteen  years  since  I  left  your 
noble  state,  it  has  been  my  privilege  to  lay  foundations  further 
west,  and  to  see  our  churches  multiplied  in  Nebraska  and  in 
regions  still  more  distant. 

As  we  review  the  changes  that  have  taken  place  during  these 
thirty  years ,  we  see  much  to  strengthen  our  faith  in  God ,  and 
to  cause  us  to  look  forward  with  hope  and  high  expectations  to 
the  years  just  before  us.  What  hath  God  wrought?  Go  on, 
brethren,  in  your  good  work,  and  may  Iowa  be  so  permeated 
with  the  gospel  that  its  healthful  influence  shall  be  felt  even  to 
the  western  ocean.  Though  not  with  you  in  person,  I  shall 
commune  with  you  in  thought,  and  my  prayer  is  that  the  Divine 
Spirit  may  hover  over  you  and  make  your  meeting  the  occasion 
for  great  pleasure  and  profit  to  3^ou,  and  to  all  the  churches 
within  your  bounds.     I  shall  ever  remain, 

Very  truly  your  brother  in  Christ, 

Reuben  Gaylord. 


404  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

From  the  Omaha  Republican: 

*TWENTIETH    ANNIVERSARY    OF    THE    CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCH. 

Sunday,  May  7,  was  set  apart  for  the  anniversary  of  the 
twentieth  j^ear  of  the  founding  of  the  Congregational  church  in 
this  city.    The  following  is  a  part  of  Mr.  Gaylord's  discourse: 

The  text  is  found  in  Deuteronomy,  8:1 — "And  thou  shalt 
remember  all  the  way  which  the  Lord  thy  God  led  thee." 

These  words  of  the  Jewish  lawgiver  are  in  perfect  harmony 
with  a  well  known  law  of  our  nature.  Man  is  inclined  to 
observe  daj^s,  times  and  seasons,  which  commemorate  or  call 
vividly  to  mind  important  epochs  in  the  history  of  individuals 
or  communities;  also  events  of  personal  interest,  as  for  example 
the  day  of  our  birth,  or  that  of  some  loved  one,  or  again  the 
day  of  the  death  of  some  dear  friend.  Such  is  the  law  of 
association  that  some  object  by  being  connected  in  mind  with 
some  other  event  or  person  helps — when  seen  or  by  its  recur- 
rence— to  call  to  mind  that  event  or  person.  Thus  we  celebrate 
the  birth  day  of  the  father  of  his  country,  and  by  so  doing 
associate  Avith  the  22d  of  Februaiy  the  virtue  of  a  Washington, 
and  the  debt  of  gratitude  the  American  people  owe  to  him  as 
their  leader  in  the  great  struggle  which  gave  existence  to  a 
free  and  independent  nation,  now  about  to  commemorate  its 
centennial. 

The  author  of  creation  manifestly  aims  to  utilize  this  leading 
propensity  of  the  human  mind,  and  turn  it  to  man's  highest 
profit.  No  sooner  is  the  work  of  creation  complete  than  the 
Sabbath  is  instituted,  hallowed  by  the  example  of  God  Himself 
in  resting  from  His  labors  on  the  seventh  day,  and  by  His 
reminding  us  of  the  finished  work  of  creation,  and  since  the 
resurrection  of  Christ,  of  that  great  fact,  so  closely  allied  to 
the  work  of  man's  redemption.  As  we  pass  on  down  the 
history  of  the  race,  we  come  to  the  Passover,  which  is  of  divine 
appointment,  and  which  to  the  Jews  recalled  from  year  to  year 
the  great  deliverance  wrought  for  them  from  the  hard  bondage 
of    Egj'pt.      By  this,  with   the"  other   great    feasts  of    yearly 


*A  Discourse  delivered  by  Rev.  Reuben  Gaylord,  May  7, 1876. 


ANNIVERSARY   SERMON.  405 

observance,  as  well  as  by  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  their  wor- 
ship, God  was  educating  them,  and  hy  degrees  lifting  up  a  rude 
people  from  heathenism  and  idolatry  to  the  high  rank  of  Chris- 
tian civilization.  As  we  come  to  the  time  of  Christ,  we  find 
Him  just  before  the  crucifixion  instituting  an  ordinance  which 
was  to  be  handed  down  to  distant  ages  to  keep  Him  in  loving 
remembrance  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  His  disciples.  And 
as  we  trace  the  history  of  the  church  we  find  a  growing  disposi- 
tion to  multiply  days  till  what  was  good  in  itself,  and  had  its 
foundation  deep  in  the  human  constitution,  became  grossly 
perverted,  and  ran  into  idolatry.  For  this  cause,  perhaps,  we, 
as  a  religious  denomination,  have  so  few  days  to  which  a  special 
importance  is  attached,  and  are  led  to  give  greater  prominence 
to  the  simple  spiritual  worship  of  God.  Still  it  is  well  at  times 
and  on  special  occasions  to  let  the  mind  run  back  over  the 
years  that  have  fled.  Such  a  day  is  this  with  us,  and  it  is  well 
to  pause  a  little  on  this  twentieth  anniversary  and  remember 
the  way  in  which  God  has  led  us,  that  we  may  take  courage  for 
future  labors,  gather  new  motives  for  fidelity,  and  thus  be  pre- 
pared better  to  meet  our  responsibilities  in  time  to  come. 

Every  church  has  a  history  of  its  own  that  should  be  trans- 
mitted to  posterity.  What  to  lis  may  seem  unimportant,  may 
in  time  be  sought  for  with  the  deepest  interest.  When  in 
future  years  the  history  of  Nebraska  shall  be  written  up,  what 
was  done  here  twenty  years  ago  will  make  an  interesting  chap- 
ter. A  good  way  to  preserve  this  history  is  to  observe  this 
anniversary  as  we  do  to-day,  and  at  such  times  to  review  the 
leadings  of  Divine  Providence  and  treasure  up  the  lessons  of 
the  passing  }'ears.  New  members  are  continually  coming  in, 
who  do  not  know  the  early  trials  of  this  pioneer  church — the 
struggles  through  which  it  passed  in  its  days  of  feebleness,  and 
it  is  well  that  they  should  know  something  of  all  this.  Its 
growth  is  so  closely  associated  with  the  growth  of  our  beautiful 
city,  that  in  speaking  of  one  I  must  of  necessit}*-  refer  to  the 
other.  I  wish  I  could  carry  you  back  for  twenty  years,  and 
spread  out  before  you  Omaha  as  it  then  was.  It  was  in  its 
infancy,  yet  gave  promise  to  some  extent  of  what  it  has  since 
become. 


406  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

As  you  stood  twenty  years  ago  on  the  hill  at  the  head  of 
Farnani  street  and  looked  eastward,  you  would  discover  scat- 
tered here  and  there  a  few  small  inferior  buildings,  mostly 
erected  in  haste,  while  on  the  adjacent  streets  a  mere  beginning 
had  been  made.  The  foundations  of  the  old  capitol  building 
were  laid  on  yonder  hill  top,  while  that  portion  of  this 
plateau  on  which  we  are  now  assembled  was  all  an  open  prairie, 
where  the  wolves  had  free  liberty  to  roam  at  their  pleasure. 
Society  was  }ret  in  its  elementary  state. 

Thus  early  did  this  church  begin  its  work  as  one  of  the 
molding  elements  in  the  structure  of  a  permanent  order  of 
society.  There  are  to-day  over  eighty  of  like  faith  in  the 
state.  Thus  while  "the  little  one"  has  not  literally  "become  a 
thousand,"  the  increase  has  been  most  gratifying.  *  *  * 
Early  in  1856  a  congregational  society  was  organized  to  act  in 
connection  with  the  church.  It  was  composed  in  part  of  mem- 
bers of  the  church,  and  in  part  of  men,  not  members,  who  knew 
the  value  of  religious  institutions  to  society.  I  see  before  me 
to-day  one  of  those  men,  Dr.  Miller,  who,  as  a  trustee  of 
this  society,  aided  us  by  his  counsel  and  hearty  co-operation. 
A'  very  pleasant  house  of  worship  erected  in  1856-7,  and 
honored  by  the  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  continued  to  be 
our  place  of  meeting  till  the  spring  of  1870,  when  the  property 
was  sold.  The  lot  on  which  our  church  building  now  stands 
was  purchased  and  this  house  built.  The  Sabbath  services 
were  held  for  a  season  in  Simpson's  hall,  on  Fourteenth  street, 
until  this  was  ready  for  occupanc}r. 

While  some  have  died,  it  is  something  to  make  mention  of 
with  gratitude  that  so  many  still  live.  The  first  death  that 
occurred  in  our  list  of  members,  was  that  of  Edward  P. 
Blodgett,  who  came  to  us  in  May,  1859,  from  Belchertown, 
Mass.,  and  died  the  following  September,  in  the  Platte  Valley, 
at  a  place  known  as  Shinn's  Ferry.  The  next  was  Robert  A. 
Caldwell,  who  united  with  us  in  1857,  and  died  in  California  in 
1860. 

I  next  note  the  death  of  Mrs.  Warren  which  occurred  Octo- 
ber 23,  1868.  She  united  by  profession  of  her  faith  and  soon 
prepared  for  heaven  in  the  school  of  suffering. 


PERSONAL   RECOLLECTIONS.  407 

Mrs.  Kean,  formerly  from  Jamaica  Plains,  Mass.,  died  in 
1869.  Dr.  McClusky,  who  came  to  us  from  the  Tabernacle 
Baptist  church,  of  this  city,  also  passed  away  in  April,  1872, 
after  a  lingering  sickness.  In  September,  1872,  Miss  Janet 
Ritchie  died  suddenly,  and  Mrs.  Caroline  Hyde  finished  her 
earthly  pilgrimage  in  August,  1873.  Mr.  Henry  A.  Goodman 
passed  from  a  long  and  painful  sickness  in  October,  1873,  to 
rest  in  the  arms  of  a  loving  Savior.  Since  that,  Mrs.  Maria  B. 
Ames  has  finished  her  course,  but  I  have  not  the  day  or  the 
year  of  her  death.  There  are  others  who  have  been  members 
with  us  who  have  removed  their  relation  to  other  churches  and 
have  since  died.  Among  them  I  may  mention  Mr.  Samuel 
Strickland,  whose  name  appears  on  our  records  as  one  of  the 
clerks  of  this  church,  and  who  was  for  a  season  a  deacon  in  the 
Congregational  church  at  Gautemala;  Mr.  Gamble,  who  died  in 
Michigan;  Mrs.  Brewster,  who  departed  this  life  in  the  midst  of 
her  children  at  Irvington,  this  county;  Mr.  William  Doolittle, 
who  died  at  Greeley,  Colorado.  If  1  have  overlooked  any  it  is 
because  I  have  not  heard  of  their  decease .  From  this  it  appears 
that  only  fourteen  who  have  ever  been  connected  with  us  have 
been  removed  by  death  during  these  twenty  years.  The 
original  members  still  live,  and  four  are  yet  among  us.  Truly, 
God  has  been  merciful. 

Among  the  early  settlers  I  now  recollect  0.  D.  Richardson 
and  family,  A.  D.  Jones,  Major  Armstrong,  Mr.  Wyman,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Goodwill,  Dr.  Miller,  A.  J.  Poppleton,  Gen.  Esta- 
brook,  S.  Cuming,  A.  J.  Hanscom,  G.  M.  Mills,  Mr.  Stevens, 
Gen.  Thaj'er,  Jesse  Lowe,  C.  B.  Smith,  Mr.  Salisbury,  and 
others.  These  with  their  families  were  then  the  leading  society 
of  the  place.  I  love  to  meet  these  old  settlers.  They  seem  to 
sustain  a  peculiar  relation,  as  those  who  welcomed  me  to  my 
new  labors.  Of  these  quite  a  number  have  passed  away  never 
to  return.  Still,  occasionally  these  pioneers  grasp  hands  in 
friendly  remembrance  of  those  early  days  and  the  scenes  in 
which  we  mingled.  How  changed  the  scene  as  we  look  abroad 
to-day!  What  wonders  twenty  years  have  wrought!  How 
many  have  joined  our  ranks  and  call  this  home! 


408  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

I  have  enio}red  the  rare  pleasure  of  seeing  this  church  grow 
up  from  its  early  beginnings,  when  I  used  to  carry  it  in  my 
arms,  to  its  present  strength  and  power  for  good.  At  times  its- 
growth  has  been  more  rapid,  while  again  there  have  been 
crises — times  of  depression,  yet  none  of  absolute  discourage- 
ment. The  discoveiy  of  gold  in  the  mountains,  the  war,  in 
which  this  church  was  found  true  and  loyal,  the  building  of 
the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  each  and  all  gave  a  new  impetus  to 
business  and  church  life  in  Omaha.  Col.  Hammond,  superin- 
tendent of  the  U.  P.  railroad,  proved  a  friend  to  the  church  in 
her  time  of  need.  Rev.  Mr.  Sherrill  came  as  a  licentiate  in  the 
fall  of  1869,  and  under  his  ministry  the  congregation  has 
enjoyed  a  large  measure  of  prosperity.  It  gives  me  pleasure  to 
say,  as  I  can  truthfully,  that  this  Christian  household  has 
always  been  blessed  with  harmon}r  and  peace,  which  has  been 
one  important  element  of  its  prosperity. 

The  original  number  in  1856  was  nine.  To-day,  in  1876, 
there  are  enrolled  over  200  names  on  our  list.  Four  who  had 
been  members  with  us,  and  one  of  the  original  members  among 
them,  were  dismissed  in  1866,  to  unite  in  the  organization  of  a 
church  at  Irvington,  which  has  proved  a  vigorous  off-shoot 
from  this  parent  stock.  I  should  not  omit  to  mention  that  two, 
at  least,  of  those  who  have  been  associated  with  us  in  past 
days,  are  now  engaged  in  preaching  the  gospel.  Bro.  Todd  is 
laboring  in  Iowa  as  an  evangelist.  The  other  is  Mr.  Samuel 
Jackson,  who  made  a  profession  of  religion  in  1858,  and  left  in 
1860  for  Canada,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  and  entered  the 
ministry. 

The  review  of  the  past  is  well  calculated  to  awaken  a  feeling 
of  gratitude  for  the  loving  care  of  Him  who  has  brought  us  on 
our  way  so  prosperously .  The  foundations  have  been  laid .  The 
church  has  taken  deep  root  and  needs  only  the  presence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  large  measure  to  fit  her  to  become  a  mighty 
power  for  good.  As  the  tree  has  its  time  of  growth,  both  in 
the  root  and  top,  and  then  fruit  is  expected,  should  it  not  be  so 
with  the  church?  As  the  pioneer  church  of  Nebraska,  the 
mother  of  a  numerous  offspring,  on  this  twentieth  anniversary, 


A    PLEASANT    RETROSPECTION.  409 

will  you  not  take  a  new  departure,  and  seek  renewed  consecra- 
tion and  devotion  to  the  cause  of  the  Master? 

Thus  memory  has  been  busy  calling  up  the  past,  but  God 
has  not  given  us  any  facult}'-  corresponding  with  memory  by 
which  we  can  look  into  the  future.  That  is  known  only  to 
Him,  to  whom  secret  things  belong.  But  as  the  months  and 
the  years  come  hastening  on  they  will  be  j^ours  to  improve  by 
faith  and  to  fill  up  with  a  Christian  activity.  May  the  coming 
twenty  years  witness  that  consecration  to  God  which  will  cause 
you  to  abound  in  Christian  graces,  and  majr  those  who  come  to 
take  our  places  rise  up  and  bless  our  memory. 

The  pulpit  had  been  beautifully  decorated  with  flowers ,  while 
the  suggestive  motto,  "1856  and  1876,"  in  figures  of  evergreen, 
ornamented  the  wall  in  the  rear  of  the  pulpit.  A  number  of 
reminiscences  of  those  pioneer  days  prior  to  Mr.  Gay  lord's 
arrival,  and  while  the  first  steps  were  being  taken  to  found 
the  society  and  build  a  church ,  were  given  by  Gov .  Richardson , 
while  Dr.  Miller  gave  a  very  interesting  account  of  how  the 
first  settlers  and  members  lived,  his  experience  dating  back  as 
far  as  1854.  lie  mentioned  in  a  graphic  manner  the  first 
church  edifice  erected,  and  how  proud  it  made  them  feel  when 
it  was  finished .  Gov .  Richardson  then  presented  to  Mr .  Gay  lord 
a  handsome  sum  of  money  contributed  by  the  members  of  the 
society  and  prominent  citizens,  when  the  exercises  of  the 
anniversary  closed,  and  the  benediction  was  pronounced. 

Selected  portions  of  a  sermon  preached  at  Fontanelle, 
July  29, 1877,  after  the  sudden  death  of  Col.  William  Kline. 
Text — Ecclesiastes  1:12,  "For  man  knoweth  not  his  time." 

In  certain  directions  human  knowledge  is  very  circum- 
scribed. Of  one  thing  we  are  well  assured — all  men  are  mortal, 
and  "It  is  appointed  unto  man  once  to  die."  The  truth  has 
been  brought  to  our  thoughts  by  the  providence  which  has 
occurred  in  our  midst,  which  has  most  deeply  moved  the  hearts 
of  this  people  and  clothed  one  of  our  families  in  mourning. 
*       *       *       On  Wednesday  morning  last  Col.  William  Kline 


410  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

left  his  home  in  usual  health.  Having  procured  a  load  of 
wood,  he  was  returning,  and  while  coming  down  the  hill  south 
of  his  house,  the  sad  accident  occurred,  which  caused  his  death 
in  about  two  hours.  He  was  brought  to  his  home,  yet  able 
with  his  mind  clear  to  converse  with  his  wife,  and  to  give  her 
such  directions  in  regard  to  his  business  affairs,  and  make  such 
statements  as  to  his  future  hopes,  as  the  hour  seemed  to  call  for, 
and  then  about  eleven  o'clock  his  spirit  took  its  departure,  and 
his  lifeless  form  occupied  the  place  where  he  had  so  recently 
moved  about,  the  life  and  joy  of  his  home.  *  *  *  With 
Mr.  Kline  that  hour  of  nine  in  the  morning  of  Wednesdaj'  was 
a  solemn  hour.  God  met  him,  and  there  in  the  shade  of  the 
trees,  feeling  that  the  summons  had  come,  what  think  you  were 
his  reflections?  Imagine  yourselves  in  a  like  condition,  how 
would  3rou  feel  ?  It  would  be  interesting  to  know  what  passed 
between  his  soul  and  God ,  in  that  hour  which  intervened  be- 
tween the  in  jury  and  his  being  brought  to  his  home.  *  *  * 
God's  voice  in  this  dispensation  is  to  us,  "Be  }Te  also  ready," 
"For  man  knoweth  not  his  time."  *  *  *  "When  the 
word  went  forth  as  with  telegraphic  speed,  "Mr.  Kline  is 
killed,"  the  whole  community  was  shocked,  and  thought  was 
bus}'.  He  was  not  an  obscure  man  who  had  fallen,  nor  one 
who  had  but  a  slight  hold  upon  the  hearts  of  this  people,  but 
one  of  the  oldest  of  our  citizens;  one  who  had  been  with  us 
from  the  veiy  inception  of  this  place;  one,  too,  who  shared  in 
an  unusual  degree  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  people  far 
and  near.  He  was  a  man  endowed  with  a  kindly  heart,  ready  to 
help  those  in  need,  not  only  b}'  his  counsel  but  by  his  means. 
He,  so  prominent,  so  greatly  beloved,  is  suddenly  removed  from 
the  activities  of  life,  and  business  stands  still  while  young  and 
old  gather  to  pay  the  last  tribute  of  respect  and  affection  to  our 
deceased  citizen  and  friend.     *     *     * 

It  is  a  long  time  since  this  communitjr  has  been  visited  with 
death  in  any  form.  *  *  *  At  the  very  commencement  of 
mjr  labors  among  you,  more  than  eighteen  months  since,  the 
grave  opened  to  receive  the  precious  dust  of  a  wife  and  mother , 
a  member  of  our  church.     Since  then  God  has  tried  us  by  His 


ADMONISHED    TO    BE    READY.  411 

goodness,  sparing  life  to  an  unusual  degree.  Now  there  is  a 
change  in  His  administration.  But  he  comes  not  in  judgment, 
for  there  is  nothing  in  this  providence  that  looks  like  a  judg- 
ment, showing  marks  of  the  Divine  displeasure.  But  He  comes 
in  admonition,  saying,  "Stand  in  awe  and  sin  not;"  "Man 
knoweth  not  his  time;"  "In  such  an  hour  as  ye  think  not  the 
Son  of  Man  cometh."  God  calls  upon  us  most  clearly  to  hear 
His  voice.  May  we  so  heed  this  call  that  it  shall  not  be  neces- 
sary for  Him  to  repeat  the  lesson.  *  *  *  We  may  see  in 
the  life  and  character  of  the  deceased,  the  value  of  early  re- 
ligious education  and  influences.  Col.  Kline  was  born  at 
Chambersburg,  Pennsylvania.  His  parents  were  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church,  and  they  dedicated  this  child  to  God 
in  baptism  as  believers  in  the  covenant,  "I  will  be  a  God  to 
thee  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee."  It  is  to  be  presumed  that  in 
consistency  with  their  profession  and  conduct  in  this  act,  they 
felt  their  obligations  to  instruct  their  children  in  the  great 
truths  of  revelation.  I  seem  to  see  him  now,  listening  to  the 
instructions  of  a  loved  mother  and  kneeling  at  the  family  altar, 
while  the  father  commends  his  dear  ones  to  the  care  and  keeping 
of  his  Father — God.  Here  no  doubt  were  implanted  those  prin- 
ciples which  proved  a  safeguard  to  our  friend  as  he  mingled  in 
the  various  and  busy  scenes  of  life,  and  made  him  the  con- 
scientious and  upright  man  which  we  all  knew  him  to  be.  He 
spent  six  years  of  his  life  in  New  Orleans,  a  place  calculated  to 
test  a  man's  character  and  principles  severely. 

After  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California,  Mr.  Kline  went 
to  that  then  far  off  land,  and  remained  three  or  four  years.  In 
those  days  not  a  few  who  had  been  members  of  churches  in  the 
states,  made  shipwreck  of  their  Christian  character.  It  needed 
a  strong  anchor  to  hold  them  to  the  right,  and  that  anchor 
with  Col.  Kline  was  undoubtedly  those  impressions  and  influences 
that  he  received  under  the  parental  roof.  He  came  to  Nebraska 
in  1854,  at  the  beginning  of  settlement  in  our  new  state.  His 
manner  of  life,  his  conscientiousness,  his  fidelity  as  a  citizen  to 
the  interests  of  society  you  all  know.  *  *  *  Our  friend 
had  a  firm  reliance  upon  the  great  truths  of  revelation.     He 


412  LIFE   OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

was  a  constant  attendant  upon  the  worship  of  God,  and  was 
often  at  the  weekly  evening  service  of  prayer.  During  our 
meetings  last  winter  and  spring  his  mind  seemed  deeply  inter- 
ested, and  I  did  indulge  the  hope  that  he  would  take  his  stand 
decidedly  and  openly  among  the  professed  friends  of  the  Re- 
deemer, but  he  was  noc  demonstrative  in  his  nature.  Many,  no 
doubt,  with  the  same  depth  of  feeling  that  he  carried  from  day 
to  da}-,  would  have  openly  espoused  the  cause  of  Christ. 

But  his  work  on  earth  is  done;  he  has  fulfilled  his  mission, 
and  he  no  more  goes  in  and  out  among  us.  As  a  community 
we  feel  afflicted,  and  mourn.  *  *  *  This  Providence  speaks 
to  men  of  business,  heads  of  families,  and  says,  "  Set  thine 
house  in  order."  How  important  that  we  have  the  business 
book  of  life  posted  up  each  night,  and  how  all-important  that 
we  be  ready  at  any  time  to  go  to  our  own  account.  When  Mr. 
Carpenter  first  found  him  he  says,  "My  business  affairs  are 
in  a  very  unsettled  state."  He  had  intended  next  week  to 
put  them  in  better  shape.  "Tell  Mrs.  Kline,"  he  said,  "to 
give  me  a  decent  burial,  pay  the  debts,  collect  what  is  due  me, 
and  take  all  that  is  left,  for  it  belongs  to  her."  Had  this  been 
done,  or  had  he  made  a  will  in  due  form,  a  great  burden  would 
have  been  taken  away  from  those  solemn  hours.  *  *  *  Let 
me  commend  this  thought  to  you  my  hearers,  who  are  in  the 
midst  of  life's  activities  and  cares,  and  who  have  families  depen- 
dent on  you.  Had  it  been  told  us,  one  week  ago,  that  one  of 
our  number  would  be  removed  from  the  scenes  of  time,  who 
would  have  selected  the  one  who  has  fallen  ?  He  was  in  the 
full  vigor  of  manhood,  not  yet  sixty  years  of  age,  and  a  man 
of  correct  habits.     *     *     * 

We  see  by  this  how  closely  we  are  bound  together,  and  how 
widely  such  a  sad  occurence  makes  itself  felt.  A  familiar  tie 
draws  veiy  near  to  each  other  those  who  were  pioneers  in  this 
new  state.  Passing  through  similar  experiences  in  laying  foun- 
dations, when  one  is  called  to  give  up  life's  work  and  burdens, 
his  death  touches  a  tender  chord  in  those  who  survive.  Deep 
and  universal  is  the  sorrow  throughout  this  entire  community, 
and  through  all  this  region,  where  he  was  so  widely  known. 


RELIGION  CAN  SUSTAIN  IN  DEEPEST  SORROW.  413 

And  to-day  his  brothers  and  sister  in  Ohio  are  stricken  with 
grief  over  the  sad  intelligence .  But  there  is  one  place  of  which 
I  have  not  spoken,  the  home  where  he  dwelt,  and  one  heart 
most  deeply  bereaved,  the  heart  entwined  with  his  by  years  of 
loving  and  faithful  companionship,  There  is  a  depth  of  sorrow 
there,  which  none  can  fathom;  human  sympathy  is  too  weak  to 
meet  the  case.  How  precious  in  such  an  hour  is  that  religion 
which  lifts  the  wounded  heart  up  to  God,  and  how  tender  the 
words  of  that  Savior,  who  said  to  his  sorrowing  disciples  when 
overwhelmed  with  grief,  "Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,  ye 
believe  in  God;  believe  also  in  me."  This  religion  can  and 
does  sustain  in  hours  of  deepest  sorrow.  After  returning 
from  the  funeral  on  Wednesday,  I  received  a  letter  from  an 
earnest  Christian  lady  in  Iowa,  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement, 
who  has  experienced  one  sorrow  after  another,  until  the  words 
of  the  poet  have  proved  true  in  her  case,  "  Woes  love  a  train, 
they  tread  each  other's  heel."  Made  a  widow  by  a  sad  calamity, 
deprived  of  her  property  by  perjury  and  fraud,  now,  after  a 
sickness  of  three  months  in  Massachusetts,  she  recovers  onby 
to  find  her  eyesight  destroyed.  She  has  returned  to  a  son  in 
Iowa,  blind  and  in  poverty,  but  she  writes  thus,  "I  have 
prayed  earnestly  in  the  darkest  hours,  that  I  might  always 
believe  in  the  goodness  of  God."  One  night  some  years  ago, 
a  mill  belonging  to  a  friend  of  mine  was  destroyed  by  fire, 
taking  away  his  property  invested  therein,  which  was  his  all. 
*'  But,"  said  he,  "  when  I  returned  home  and  saw  that  God  had 
spared  my  wife  and  little  children,  I  was  thankful  and  happy." 
Blessed  Christianity !  that  can  give  that  ' '  peace  which  passeth  all 
understanding  "  in  time  of  the  direst  calamity.     *     *     * 

But  there  is  mingled  in  this  bitter  cup  the  comforting  fact, 
that  after  such  a  fearful  and  fatal  injury,  our  friend  should  live 
for  two  hours ,  with  his  mind  so  clear  that  he  was  able  to  converse 
with  his  companion,  who  asked  him  if  it  was  all  right  for  the 
future  with  him,  and  to  whom  in  that  honest  hour  he  replied: 
*'It  is  all  right.  We  shall  spend  a  happy  eternity  together." 
*  *  *  *  It  may  be,  my  hearers,  that  some  of 
you  remember  the  vision  that  John  saw,  as  recorded  in  the  fifth 


414  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLOKD. 

chapter  of  Revelations,  a  book  written  and  sealed  up,  and  which 
contained  the  great  events  yet  in  the  future.  No  one  in  heaven, 
or  in  earth,  or  under  the  earth,  was  able  to  open  and  read  the 
book.  In  this  we  are  taught  that  the  knowledge  of  the  future 
is  with  God.  It  is  impossible  for  man  or  angel  to  penetrate  it, 
for  it  lies  beyond  their  reach . 

Portion  of  a  sermon  preached  at  Fontanelle  the  first 
Sabbath  of  1880,  the  last  Sabbath  of  his  life : 

Ecclesiastes  9:  10. — "Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do, 
do  it  with  thy  might;  for  there  is  no  work,  nor  device,  nor 
knowledge,  nor  wisdom  in  the  grave  whither  thou  goest." 

As  we  read  the  text  these  questions  arise:  How  to  work? 
When  to  work  ?  What  is  to  be  done  ?  What  motives  should 
inspire  us  ?  Then  we  may  consider  the  designs  of  our  action 
and  the  end  toward  which  we  are  tending.  Man's  native  con- 
dition and  capacity  for  activity  are  expressed  in  the  words  do, 
do  it.  No  sooner  had  God  formed  man  out  of  the  dust  of  the 
earth  and  breathed  upon  him  His  own  life-giving  breath,  than 
He  gave  him  a  work  to  do,  which  was  to  care  for  the  Garden  of 
Eden,  to  dress  it  and  keep  it  in  order. 

When  the  children  of  Israel,  in  their  flight  from  Egypt, 
stood  trembling  on  the  shore  of  the  Red  Sea,  because  of  the 
dangers  in  the  way,  God's  direction  to  Moses  was,  "  Speak  unto 
the  children  of  Israel  that  they  go  forward."  In  this  was 
their  safety.  "  Go  forward."  Do  what  is  needful.  Through 
the  Old  Testament  history  we  find  work  laid  out  for  the  people 
and  when  for  a  short  time  they  were  not  employed,  they  were 
at  once  guilty  of  out-breaking  sin.  While  Moses  was  up  in  the 
Mount  before  God,  they  rejected  him.  Then  they  prevailed 
upon  Aaron  to  make  them  a  golden  calf  for  their  worship. 

It  appears  implied  in  the  text  that  we  seek  for  suitable  work. 
"Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do."  Each  person  should  seek 
for  such  employment  as  he  is  best  fitted  to  perform.  "  Why 
stand  ye  here  all  the  day  idle?"  As  this  is  true  in  worldly 
matters  it  is  also  true  in  our  religious  duties  in  the  service  of 
God. 


LAST   SERMON.  415 

Opportunity  imposes  obligation .  The  Samaritan ,  who  kindly 
provided  for  the  man  who  fell  among  robbers  and  was  left  nearly 
dead,  acted  upon  this  principle.  The  priest  and  the  levite  who 
passed  by  on  the  other  side  and  left  him  to  suffer,  neglected 
their  imperative  duty.  The  opportunity  of  helping  a  neighbor 
who  is  in  distress  or  peril  makes  our  duty  plain.  Equally,  the 
opportunity  of  helping  the  cause  of  Christ,  by  sustaining  the 
institutions  of  the  gospel  at  home  or  by  sending  it  to  the  dark 
corners  of  the  earth,  places  us  under  religious  obligations  which 
we  cannot  disregard  and  be  guiltless. 

When  Saul,  on  his  way  to  Damascus,  saw  the  great  light  and 
heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  speaking  to  him,  immediately  he  went 
about  the  Savior's  work.  Saul's  native  constitution  was  full  of 
active  energy.  He  now  wished  to  find  the  path  of  Christian 
duty.  Christ,  our  perfect  pattern,  said:  "I  must  work  the 
works  of  Him  who  sent  me,  while  it  is  day."  Also,  "  My 
Father  worketh  hitherto  and  I  work."  God  constantly  super- 
intends, directs  and  controls  all  things.  Not  the  slightest  action 
of  any  of  his  creatures  escapes  His  watchful  eye.  He  said,  "  Let 
us  make  man  in  our  image."  He  made  man  to  be  active.  The 
object  to  which  we  devote  our  energies  determines  our  character 
as  God  sees  it.  The  whole  spirit  of  the  word  of  God  shows 
that  man  is  to  work. 

"  Do  it  with  thy  might."  Earnestness  in  the  work  should 
appear.  We  should  realize  the  importance  of  our  work.  AVhen 
the  man  of  the  world  sets  his  mind  upon  the  attainment  of 
wealth  he  works  early  and  late.  He  avails  himself  of  every 
facility  within  his  reach.  He  considers  carefully  the  most  suc- 
cessful methods  of  accomplishing  his  designs.  The  politician 
will  work  with  diligence  day  and  night  to  secure  an  office  or 
carry  a  party  measure.  Now  let  us,  as  Christians,  use  the  same 
earnest  efforts  to  advance  the  Savior's  kingdom,  to  win  others 
to  Christ  and  heaven . 

When  are  we  to  work?  Just  now.  At  once.  The  first 
Sabbath  in  the  year  is  a  good  time  to  begin .  We  should  work 
now  because  our  time  is  short.  Soon  we  may  be  silent  in  death. 
"There  is  no  work,  nor  device,  nor  knowledge,  nor  wisdom, 
in  the  grave,"  to  which  we  are  all  hastening. 


416  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

Let  us  briefly  look  at  the  work  to  be  done.  Christ's  great 
commission  was  issued  to  all .  "  Go  3Te  into  all  the  world  and 
preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature."  More  than  eighteen  hun- 
dred years  have  passed  since  that  commission  was  issued,  signed, 
sealed  and  delivered,  yet  millions  of  persons  in  the  world  are 
without  the  gospel.  The  work  of  the  Christian  is  to  win  those 
around  him  to  Christ,  and  to  make  the  gospel  known  to  the 
heathen  world.  God  has  set  the  seal  of  his  approbation  upon 
this  work  of  His  people  by  pouring  out  of  His  Spirit  upon  the 
mission  fields.  At  home  these  streams  of  benevolence  have 
been  swelling.  Old  debts  have  been  paid.  The  missionary 
boards  began  this  year  with  a  clear  balance  sheet,  and  with  good 
courage  for  still  more  vigorous  assaults  upon  the  kingdom  of 
darkness.  May  the  Spirit  of  God  breathe  upon  the  fires  already 
kindled ,  and  the  silver  and  the  gold  be  consecrated  to  this  cause . 

I  wish  now  to  take  a  look  at  the  past  j^ear  as  it  respects  this 
people.  The  3Tear  opened  with  clouds  and  darkness.  How 
different  the  feeling  at  its  close.  God  has  crowned  it  with 
his  goodness  and  mercy.  The  season  has  been  favorable,  the 
harvest  abundant.  All  hearts  should  overflow  with  grati- 
tude. Health  has  been  the  rule  and  sickness  the  exception. 
One  sad  providence  aroused  us.  You  remember  how  we  were 
gathered  in  this  house  to  pay  the  last  tribute  of  respect  to  one 
who  was  suddenly  killed,  and  brought  here  where  he  formerly 
resided  for  sepulture.  His  sad  death  in  the  prime  of  life  and 
activity  seems  to  sa}r,  "  Do  with  thy  might  what  thy  hands  find 
to  do." 

AVhat  shall  I  say  of  our  work  as  a  church?  Of  its  record? 
Are  3'ou  satisfied?  I  think  not.  But  here  we  stand,  on  the 
threshold  of  the  opening  year.  Will  you  take  up  j^our  Christian 
work,  my  hearers,  with  earnestness?  With  a  deep  sense  of  your 
need  of  Divine  help?  This  year  will  doubtless  bring  many 
changes.  The  motions  of  the  bodies  of  our  solar  sj^stem  will 
bring  with  the  onflowing  year  no  less  than  six  eclipses.  The 
first  will  be  only  partial  with  us.  It  appears  wonderful  that 
man  can  predict  these  eclipses  with  such  extreme  precision. 
But  God's  great  laws  are  all  precise  and  uniform.     Every  one 


NEBRASKA — EDUCATIONAL  WORK.  417 

of  His  arrangements  will  be  just  so  strictly  fulfilled.  We  have 
also  this  year  to  go  through  the  trying  process  of  a  presidential 
election.  The  growth  of  our  nation  is  great.  Now  let  us  look 
at  personal  responsibility ,  and  individual  interests ,  not  only  in 
this  world,  but  beyond  the  grave;  for  after  death  comes  the 
judgment. 

A  BRIEF  NOTICE  OF  EDUCATIONAL  WORK  IN  NEBRASKA. 

The  first  settlements  of  Nebraska  were  made  along  the 
Missouri  river,  from  the  Kansas  line  north.  It  is  about 
seventy-five  miles  in  a  direct  line  from  the  southern  bound- 
ary to  the  mouth  of  the  Platte  river. 

The  wonderful  resources  of  the  state,  which  developed 
as  fast  as  the  population  poured  in,  account  in  some  measure 
for  the  rapid  growth  which  it  was  destined  to  have.  But 
probably  it  is  due,  yet  more,  to  the  various  laws  which 
encouraged  immigration,  and  continually  urged  each  new- 
comer one  step  beyond  his  latest  predecessor,  that  he  might 
find  lands  still  unclaimed. 

To-day,  the  state  to  its  farthermost  bounds  is  being 
turned  into  a  very  garden  of  the  Lord — thanks  to  the  brave 
men  and  women  who  endured  many  hardships  to  make 
homes  for  themselves.  The  laws  referred  to  are  mainly 
three  :  The  pre-emption  act  of  September,  1841 ;  the  home- 
stead law  of  May,  1862,  and  the  timber  claim  of  July,  1870. 
This  last  act  gives  peculiar  privileges  to  all  soldiers  who 
served  in  the  war  of  the  rebellion  and  remained  loyal  to 
the  government. 

By  the  liberality  of  the  general  government,  Nebraska 
was  endowed  with  double  the  amount  of  school  lands 
previously  given  to  any  other  state,  the  sixteenth  and 
thirty-sixth  sections  of  each  township  being  set  apart  to 
create  a  permanent  school  fund.  Before  Nebraska  became 
a  state,  schools  were  principally  sustained  by  a  tax  on 
property. 

The  first  public  school  in  Omaha  was  begun  in  the 

23 


418  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

autumn  of  1859,  with  Mr.  Howard  Kennedy  as  city  super- 
intendent. The  board  of  directors  was  composed  of  four  of 
our  citizens,  with  Mr.  Van  Nostrand  as  ex-officio  clerk.  Two 
of  the  schools  were  held  in  the  old  State  House  on  Ninth 
street,  another  on  Douglas  and  Thirteenth,  and  another  near 
the  old  military  bridge.  Mr.  Kennedy  and  two  ladies 
taught  in  the  State  House,  and  the  other  schools  were  in 
charge  of  ladies.  Previous  to  this,  as  early  as  1856  or  '57> 
Mrs.  Smith,  from  the  state  of  New  York,  kept  a  private 
school  in  the  basement  of  the  Congregational  church.  Some 
of  those  first  lady  teachers  who  still  reside  in  Omaha,  must 
look  back  with  satisfaction  to  their  work  in  educating  the 
intellect,  and  forming  the  characters  of  the  children  and 
youth  who  came  under  their  influence  in  those  early  days. 

From  the  Omaha  World: 

CHURCH  AND  SCHOOL. 

"One  by  one  I've  seen  the  old  land-marks  wiped  out  of 
existence  to  make  room  for  more  pretentious  structures,  but  the 
destruction  you  see  going  on  over  yonder  grieves  me  more  than 
any  I've  witnessed  in  Omaha  during  my  lifetime  of  residence 
here." 

The  speaker  was  one  of  the  "  boys  born  in  Omaha,"  who 
was  the  companion  of  the  World  reporter  on  the  way  down 
Farnam  street  from  the  Court  House  the  other  day.  He  gazed 
longingly  at  what  was  left  of  the  old  brick  church  that  was 
resurrected,  as  it  were,  when  the  old  City  Hall  was  torn  down 
to  make  room  for  the  magnificent  new  building  to  be  erected  by 
the  Commercial  National  Bank.  Early  residents  remember  well 
the  brick  meeting  house  that  stood  alone  for  years  on  the  half 
block  that  will  soon  contain  two  of  the  finest  buildings  in  the 
west. 

' '  In  the  basement  of  that  old  church  I  spent  one  of  the  happiest 
3'ears  of  my  bo}rhood,"  spoke  the  "  Omaha  boy  "  as  he  watched 
the  workmen  hurriedly  demolishing  all  that  remained  of  the 
structure.     "  I  was  only  seven  years  of  age  at  the  time,  but  I 


RECOLLECTIONS    OF    THE    FIRST    CHURCH.  419 

remember  it  well,  for  it  was  the  first  school  I  ever  attended." 
"Do  you  know,  Mr.  World  man,  that  I  don't  like  to  see  that 
whole  block  of  ground  covered  with  buildings?"  he  continued, 
bracing  himself  against  the  Board  of  Trade  building. 

The  old  church  was  quite  a  structure  in  its  day,  and  was 
completed  in  1857.  Reminiscences  and  recollections  are  very 
well  in  their  wa}r,  but  the  march  of  improvement  cares  very 
little  for  the  land  marks  from  which  they  spring,  and  this  was 
one  of  the  dearest  of  the  old  land  marks. 

This  first  Congregational  church,  once  so  dear  to  its 
founder  and  to  those  who  worshiped  there,  was  taken  away 
during  the  present  year  (1889.) 

Those  of  Mr.  Kennedy's  pupils,  now  in  active  life,  retain 
a  very  pleasant  remembrance  of  his  agreeable  and  successful 
methods  of  teaching,  which  seemed  so  well  adapted  to  their 
needs  and  capacities. 

When  Prof.  Beals  came,  in  1861,  the  public  money  had 
all  been  expended  and  no  more  was  available.  With  much 
experience  in  teaching  and  excellent  qualifications  for  it, 
he  opened  a  private  school  on  Douglas  street,  between  Fif- 
teenth and  Sixteenth  streets,  and  afterward  on  Douglas 
street  in  what  had  been  the  Hamilton  House.  Prof.  Beals 
has  often  since  held  the  position  of  principal.  He  has  been 
in  an  eminent  degree  a  thorough  and  successful  instructor, 
and  is  still  engaged  in  his  chosen  vocation. 

In  1868  and  1869  the  Seagrave  brothers  taught  with 
crowded  rooms,  but  subsequently  the  public  schools  made 
private  instruction  to  some  extent  unnecessary.  Mr.  Gay- 
lord  will  be  remembered  by  those  who  knew  him  best,  as 
greatly  interested  in  education,  and  always  a  helper  and  at 
home  in  the  midst  of  any  well-laid  plans  for  its  advancement. 
Among  many  others  who  have  not  been  alluded  to,  we 
mention  Mr.  Kellom,  whose  good  work  as  principal  and 
teacher  in  the  high  school  will  not  soon  be  forgotten. 

In  1864  a  young  ladies'  school,  under  the  patronage  of 


420  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

the  Episcopal  church,  was  commenced  at  Saratoga,  in  the 
north  part  of  the  city.  In  1867  it  was  transferred  to 
Sixteenth  street  and  named  Brownell  Hall,  for  Bishop 
Brownell,  of  revered  memory.  In  1886  the  present  com- 
modious and  beautiful  building  was  erected  on  Tenth  street, 
one-fourth  of  a  mile  south  of  the  Union  Pacific  railway 
station,  and  was  completed  and  occupied  in  January,  1887. 
"The  building  is  a  model  of  perfection  in  all  its  arrange- 
ments for  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  both  teachers  and 
students." 

Throughout  the  state,  Doane  College  at  Crete,  Gates 
College  at  Neligh,  and  Franklin  and  Weeping  Water 
academies  are  doing  good  work. 

The  Catholics  have  many  educational  institutions, 
Creighton  College  ranking  highest  among  them.  St.  Mary's 
Convent,  on  St.  Mary's  avenue,  was  one  of  the  first,  and 
dates  back  to  the  early  beginnings  of  Omaha.  But  its 
walls  were  taken  down  and  the  building  has  entirely  dis- 
appeared. Other  of  the  old  landmarks  are  also  fast  melting 
away.  And  the  early  residents,  too,  those  who  endured  the 
hardships  necessary  to  lay  the  foundations  upon  which  the 
Omaha  of  to-day  is  built,  are  one  by  one  passing  over  into 
the  beyond.  May  they  all  be  prepared  to  enter  through 
the  golden  gates  into  that  glorious  city  "  whose  builder  and 
maker  is  God,"  and  may  the  generation  already  beginning 
to  occupy  their  places  not  forget  the  silent  ones,  to  whom 
they  owe  so  much  of  their  present  happiness  and  prosperity. 

FONTANELLE    COLLEGE. 

Soon  after  congress  had  organized  the  territory  of 
Nebraska,  and  had  appointed  officers  for  its  government,  a 
few  citizens  of  Quincy,  111.,  conceived  the  idea  of  planting  a 
colony  in  the  newly  organized  territory.  In  accordance 
with  this  plan,  they  formed  a  company  with  printed  laws 
and  regulations,  to  be  known  as  the  Nebraska  Colonization 
Company.     The  payment  of  one  hundred  dollars  was  the 


EARLY   HISTORY   OF    PONTANELLE.  42] 

price  of  admission  to  membership  and  bompany  privileges. 
In  July  of  that  year  (1854)  a  prospecting  committee  was 

sent  out  to  locate  territory  for  settlement  of  the  colony,  and 
select  a  site  for  a  municipal  town.  Hon.  J.  W.  Richardson, 
one  of  the  party,  was  secretary  and  Hold  reporter  to  take 
notes  of  the  journey.  They  traveled  with  wagons,  camping 
on  the  prairies  at  night,  and  after  crossing  the  Missouri 
followed  the  divides,  going  by  way  of  what  is  now  Port 
Calhoun,  until  they  came  to  the  high  bluffs  of  the  Elkhorn 
river.  Here  they  looked  down  upon  the  Platteand  Elkhorn 
valleys  united,  making  a  broad  and  fertile  valley  ten  miles 
wide.  The  Elkhorn,  pursuing  its  winding  way,  skirted  with 
timber,  could  bo  traced  for  a  long  distance,  and,  looking 
across  the  valley  ten  miles  away,  the  eye  rested  upon  the 
high  bluffs  of  the  Plutte  river,  adding  a  very  pleasing 
variety  to  the  line  scenery. 

This  prospecting  party  represented  the  professoi,  mer- 
chant, banker,  lawyer,  clergyman  and  farmer.  But  as  they 
stood  there  together  on  that  summer  day  in  I  SHI,  all  were 
so  captivated  by  the  scene  of  wondrous  beauty  and  fertility 
that  they  selected  it  as  the  site  of  their  embryo  city,  and  the 
surrounding  country  for  future  homes  for  the  families  of  the 
colony.  They  purchased  the  right  of  possession  of  Logan 
Fontanelle,  a  chief  of  the  Omaha  tribe  of  Indians,  giving 
him  one  hundred  dollars  to  keep  their  claim  until  they 
should  return. 

The  report  of  these  explorers  was  favorably  received  by 
the  Colonization  Society  at  Quincy,  and  Mr.  Richardson  was 
appointed  as  their  agent  to  return  and  take  possession  of 
their  land  for  them,  cause  cabins  to  be  built  for  the  settlers 
the  ensuing  spring,  and  to  use  his  influence  in  the  coming 
territorial  legislature  to  procure  a  college  charter  for  the 
Baptist  colony,  many  of  them  being  members  of  the  Baptist 
churches  in  Quincy  and  vicinity.  In  October  he  returned 
to  the  New  Eldorado,  accompanied  by  his  wife  (now  Mrs. 
E.  R.  Kline).     The  town  was  named  Fontanelle  in  honor  of 


422  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

the  Omaha  chief.  Logan  Fontanelle  was  a  half-breed,  his 
father  being  French.  He  was  educated  at  St.  Louis,  and 
spoke  English  fluently.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richardson,  Col. 
Kline,  Mr.  Seely,  and  some  others,  spent  the  winter  of  1854-5 
at  Fontanelle. 

This  winter  the  territorial  legislature  was  organized  and 
held  its  first  session  in  Omaha.  The  company  at  Quincy 
instructed  their  agent,  Judge  Richardson,  to  use  every  effort 
to  secure  the  location  of  the  territorial  capital  at  Fontanelle. 
They  also  sent  two  of  their  number  to  Omaha  to  work  for 
that  interest  during  the  session  of  the  legislature.  In 
November  Dr.  M.  H.  Clark  was  elected  councilman  to  the 
legislature,  and  Judge  Richardson  and  Col.  D.oyle  represen- 
tatives from  Fontanelle.  But  their  efforts  to  secure  the 
capital  of  the  new  territory  were  unsuccessful,  as  the  prize 
was  given  to  Omaha.  The}f  succeeded,  however,  in  obtain- 
ing a  charter  for  a  Baptist  college  to  be  located  there,  under 
the  "  Name  and  style  of  Nebraska  University." 

The  Colonization  Company  at  Quincy,  when  they  first 
designed  planting  a  colony  in  this  new  land,  conceived  the 
idea  of  an  institution  of  learning  in  which  their  own  and 
other  children  and  youth  might  have  the  opportunity  of 
obtaining  a  thorough  education.  When  this  charter  was 
granted  they  felt  that  a  most  desirable  point  had  been 
gained  toward  the  consummation  of  their  plans.  During 
the  session  a  bill  was  introduced  chartering  the  "Platte 
Valley  and  Pacific  R.  R.  Company."  On  the  16th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1855,  Dr.  Clark,  chairman  of  the  committee  on  corpor- 
ations, presented  a  report  of  great  ability,  which  contained 
the  following  prediction :  "  It  is  the  belief  of  your  committee 
that  before  fifteen  years  have  transpired,  the  route  to  India 
will  be  opened  through  this  valley,  and  the  way  across  this 
continent  will  be  the  common  highway  of  the  world."  Four- 
teen years  and  three  months  from  this  date  the  golden  spike 
was  driven  which  completed  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad. 

During  the  winter  the  company  at  Quincy  were  making 


FOUNDING   OF   FONTANELLE   COLLEGE.  423 

preparations  to  come  out  in  a  body  and  take  possession  of 
their  new  homes.  An  erroneous  idea  had  prevailed  that 
the  Platte  and  Elkhorn  rivers  could  be  used  for  navigation. 
With  this  object  in  view  the  company  secured  a  small 
steamer,  and  a  portion  of  them,  with  their  families  and 
effects,  embarked  at  Quincy  in  the  spring  of  1S55.  They 
ascended  the  Missouri  safely  until  they  were  near  the  mouth 
of  the  riatte  river.  Here  the  boat  struck  a  snag  and  was 
completely  wrecked.  The  lives  of  all  were  saved,  but  the 
cargo  was  nearly  a  total  loss.  Escaping  from  the  wreck, 
the  colonists  hired  wagons  to  carry  them  to  Council  Bluffs 
where  they  remained  three  weeks.  From  there  a  few 
returned  to  Quincy  and  the  rest  procured  teams  to  take 
them  to  Fontanelle. 

In  July,  1850,  a  straggling  party  of  Sioux  Indians  came 
suddenly  upon  the  camp  of  some  parties  who  were  opening  a 
farm  one  mile  south  of  town.  They  killed  the  men  and  rode 
off  with  the  provisions.  They  were  a  portion  of  the  party 
who,  that  same  month,  killed  Logan  Fontanelle,  the  Omaha 
chief.  He  was  hunting,  and  becoming  separated  a  little 
from  his  band,  was  attacked  by  these  warriors.  He  defended 
himself  bravely,  but  after  killing  three  of  the  Sioux,  fell, 
pierced  by  fourteen  arrows.  This  alarm  sent  some  of  the 
settlers  back  to  the  states,  thus  diminishing  the  colony  in 
numbers.  The  governor  sent  out  troops  from  Omaha  for 
protection,  who  were  stationed  in  Fontanelle  during  the  fall 
and  winter,  but  it  was  some  months  before  the  settlers  felt 
secure  from  further  attacks. 

In  the  meantime,  more  Congregationalists  came  into  the 
colony,  and  the  church  was  organized.  The  summer  fol- 
lowing, a  school  was  commenced  in  a  building  temporarily 
erected  for  the  purpose,  which  was  also  used  for  public 
worship  on  the  Sabbath.  The  Baptist  brethren  had  become 
somewhat  reduced  in  numbers  and  had  not  put  up  a  build- 
ing for  their  educational  enterprise. 

We  give  some  extracts  from  Mr.  Gaylord's  address  on 


424  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

laying  the  foundation  of  the  building  for  the  preparatory- 
department  of  the  college  in  July,  1858 : 

"We  are  assembled  to-day  to  inaugurate  an  important  enter- 
prise— to  rear  the  first  building  for  an  educational  institution 
which  we  trust  is  to  grow  with  our  growth,  and  flourish  with 
increasing  vigor  when  its  projectors  and  present  patrons  shall 
be  silent  in  death.  We  behold  gathered  here  a  deeply  interested 
assembly  to  lay  the  foundation  of  an  edifice  which  is  regarded 
as  the  germ  of  a  mighty  agencj*  for  good,  the  first  link  in  a 
chain  of  influence  that  is  to  reach  far  into  the  future.  You 
recognize  and  associate  with  this,  the  law  of  progress  which 
pervades  all  nature,  and  thus  are  led  not  to  despise  the  "day  of 
small  things."     The  growth  of  empire?  illustrates  this  law. 

Rome  had  its  beginning  although  its  true  origin  is  concealed 
in  fable.  But  its  progress  to  the  highest  pinnacle  of  greatness 
was  the  work  of  centuries.  So  it  is  with  us  as  a  nation,  and  the 
operation  of  this  principle  is  seen  in  the  progress  of  those  insti- 
tutions and  agencies  which  are  calculated  to  elevate  man  in  the 
scale  of  being  and  develop  to  the  utmost  the  intellectual  and 
moral  powers  of  this,  the  noblest  work  of  God.  Thus  to 
develop  man's  faculties  is  the  work  of  education,  and  in  a  well 
ordered  sy stem  of  education  the  college  occupies  a  most  impor- 
tant place.  In  a  new  state,  where  form  and  character  are  to  be 
given  to  society,  it  is  all  important  that  early  and  well  directed 
efforts  be  made  to  found  these  institutions  of  learning. 

Such  was  the  view  which  the  early  settlers  of  New  England 
took  of  this  subject.  Many  of  them  occupied  a  high  rank  as 
educated  men,  being  graduates  of  the  universities  of  Cambridge 
and  Oxford  in  Old  England.  Scarcely  had  they  arrived  in  this 
western  world  before  their  thoughts  were  turned  to  the 
establishment  of  a  college.  Their  great  object  in  coming  to 
America  was  to  plant  a  pure  faith  and  build  up  churches  on  the 
firm  basis  of  the  gospel.  To  accomplish  this  they  justly 
regarded  a  pious  and  educated  ministry  indispensable,  and  were 
convinced  that  to  secure  an  adequate  supply  of  ministers,  they 
must  make  provision  for  their  education  at  home. 

In  accordance  with  these  views  a  college  was  commenced  at 


ADDRESS   ON   LAYING   THE   CORNER   STONE.  425 

Cambridge,  near  Boston,  in  1638,  which  took  the  name  of 
Harvard  University,  from  Rev.  John  Harvard.  At  a  later 
period,  in  1700,  Yale  College  was  commenced,  first  at  Say- 
brook,  but  afterward  moved  to  New  Haven.  The  first  contri- 
bution was  a  library  of  forty  volumes.  Each  of  the  eleven 
trustees  gave  a  number  of  books,  and  laying  them  on  a  table 
said,  "I  give  these  books  for  the  founding  of  a  college  in  this 
colony."  Other  donations  were  given  in  money,  lands,  goods 
and  books.  The  early  settlers  in  their  deep  poverty  gave  as 
they  could  for  the  endowment  of  their  cherished  institution. 
Such  was  the  beginning  of  Yale  College.  One  hundred  and  thirty 
years  after,  it  had  sent  forth  about  four  thousand  five  hundred 
educated  men,  among  whom  were  members  of  all  the  learned 
professions  in  the  state  of  Connecticut,  and  no  less  than  twent}-- 
six   presidents  of  American    colleges.      ****** 

Within  the  last  few  years  settlement  and  civilization  have 
extended  far  on  toward  the  setting  sun.  Twenty  years  ago  the 
Indian  title,  unextinguished,  reached  to  within  forty  miles  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  Iowa  had  a  population  of  18,000.  The 
Iowa  Congregational  brethren,  after  much  deliberation,  chose 
Davenport  as  the  place  to  found  their  college.  To-day,  we  meet 
at  a  point  three  hundred  and  fift}-  miles  west  of  that  place.  The 
swelling  tide  of  population  has  broken  in  upon  this  region  of 
surpassing  beauty  and  fertility,  and  already,  far  to  the  west  of 
us,  the  virgin  soil  of  Nebraska  is  made  tributary  to  the  support 

f\T       tyj  qr>  ^  3f  ^  ff"  ^  *"  "■(£  "Jp1  7& 

We  are  gathered  here,  many  of  us  of  New  England  birth 
and  ancestry,  to  transplant  from  the  Puritan  nursery  a  young 
and  healthful  tree,  expecting  it  to  receive  that  care  and  culture 
which  will  insure  its  future  growth.  Our  work  to-day  may 
seem  small,  but  when  viewed  in  its  true  design  and  relations  is 
worthy  to  enlist  our  largest  energies  and  most  persevering 
efforts.  Ours  is  foundation  work.  It  is  so  in  all  departments 
of  labor,  and  the  corner  stone  is  the  most  important  in  the 
foundation.     This  Ave  now  lajr. 

The  corner  stone — the  beginning  of  the  temple  of  science 
and  literature.     To  this  posterity  will  look  as  the  commence- 


426  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

ment  of  a  practical  effort  to  provide  for  the  youth  of  our 
territory  the  benefits  of  a  liberal  education.  We  expect  this 
institution ,  so  auspiciously  begun ,  to  advance  in  obedience  to 
the  law  of  progress  we  have  contemplated,  and  to  be  deeply 
seated  in  the  affections  of  the  people  of  this  place,  and  of  the 
Christian  and  liberal-minded  people  of  the  territoiy  and  future 
state. 

I  desire  now  to  turn  your  attention  briefly  to  the  past,  and 
to  trace  the  steps  by  which  we  have  led  up  to  our  present 
position . 

At  the  first  meeting  of  Association  held  at  Fremont,  in 
1857,  the  subject  of  taking  steps  for  a  literary  institution  was 
brought  forward,  and,  after  a  careful  consideration,  it  was 
resolved  that  it  is  now  expedient  to  la}T  the  foundations  for  a 
literary  institution  of  a  high  order  for  Nebraska.  In  Novem- 
ber a  special  meeting  of  the  trustees  of  the  Baptist  University, 
eleven  in  number,  was  called  to  consider  the  resolutions  passed 
by  the  Congregational  Association. 

The  result  of  this  conference  was  that  in  February,  1858, 
the  University  became  the  Congregational  College  of  Nebraska. 
This  Baptist  institution  which  had  received  its  charter  from  the 
first  territorial  legislature,  proposed  through  their  committee  to 
give  over  to  a  board  of  trustees  appointed  by  the  association, 
all  their  property  and  interest,  provided  such  association  would 
erect  a  building  for  a  preparatory  school  of  size  sufficient  to 
accommodate  one  hundred  pupils,  open  a  school  in  October 
next,  and  within  five  years  would  also  cause  to  be  erected  a 
college  building  of  suitable  dimensions  and  architectural  pro- 
portions. The  Nebraska  Colonization  Compan}'  proposed,  on 
the  same  terms,  to  donate  to  said  board  of  trustees  their  title  to 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  the  southeast  of  town, 
and  the  citizens  of  Fontanelle  and  others  contributed  about  sixty 
town  lots,  forty  acres  of  land  four  miles  from  town,  and  seven 
hundred  dollars  in  money,  labor,  and  building  materials.  This, 
taken  in  connection  with  the  situation  of  this  place  for  beauty, 
health,  its  relation  to  other  parts  of  the  territory,  the  character 
of  its  citizens,  and  the  interest  shown  in  the  enterprise,  induced 


ADDRESS   ON   LAYING   THE   CORNER   STONE.  427 

the  association  to  accept  the  proposals,  and  the  contract  was 
duly  signed  and  ratified  by  the  parties.  In  accordance  with  and 
fulfillment  of  that  mutual  agreement  this  work  is  now  begun. 
The  location  is  deemed  a  favorable  one  because  it  is  removed 
from  those  temptations  to  evil  and  dissipation  which  gather 
around  a  commercial  town,  where  business  is  the  great  absorb- 
ing interest. 

The  work  we  have  undertaken  is  to  build  up  a  literal 
institution  of  a  high  order,  and  to  place  it  under  such  religious 
influences  as  will  be  calculated  under  God  to  develop  man's 
physical  and  intellectual  powers  -in  proper  proportion,  and  to 
bring  all  under  the  control  of  his  higher  nature,  which  fits  him 
not  only  to  enjoy  but  to  bless.  It  is  to  be  under  the  super- 
vision of  a  board  of  trustees,  appointed  b}r  the  Congregational 
Association  of  Nebraska.       *       *       * 

Some  may  think  we  are  premature  in  our  efforts  to  lay  so 
early  the  foundations  of  such  an  institution.  Should  this  be  the 
case  I  would  say  in  reply,  we  are  only  acting  in  concert  with  the 
wisest  and  best  minds  in  all  the  different  periods  of  our  country's 
history.  Harvard  University  was  founded  only  eighteen  years 
after  the  Pilgrims  landed  on  Plymouth  Rock.  "  The  ends  for 
which  our  fathers  did  chiefly  erect  a  college,"  says  Increase 
Mather,  "  were  that  so  scholars  might  be  educated  for  Christ 
and  His  churches,  and  that  the}r  might  be  seasoned  in  their 
tender  3-ears  with  such  principles  as  brought  their  blessed  pro- 
genitors into  this  wilderness."  "With  similar  views  and  feelings 
have  those  institutions  established  at  the  west  within  the  last 
thirty  years  been  founded.  The}*'  have  been  begun  with  prayer 
and  faith  in  God,  and  an  earnest  desire  for  His  glory. 

That  was  an  enlightened  zeal  and  wise  policy  which  led 
Sturtevant  and  others  within  the  walls  of  Yale  Seminary,  in 
1827,  to  conceive  the  idea  of  founding  a  college  for  the  state  of 
Illinois.  What  was  Illinois  then?  In  some  respects  it  was  not 
so  far  advanced  as  Nebraska  is  now.  Wonderful  has  been  the 
growth  of  the  west.  Fourteen  years  have  given  Iowa,  Wis- 
consin, and  Minnesota  to  the  number  of  states,  to  which  Kansas 
and  Nebraska  are  soon  to  be  added.     A  mighty  tide  of  emigra- 


428  LIFE    OF    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

tion,  borne  by  the  locomotive  to  our  borders,  will  soon  spread 
over  these  fertile  plains.  No.  We  have  not  begun  a  day  too 
soon.  With  a  deep  sense  of  the  importance  of  our  work,  with 
a  firmer  faith  in  that  God  from  whom  all  prosperity  comes,  we 
now  lay  the  foundations  of  an  institution  for  the  promotion  of 
Christian  education,  and  for  the  good  of  the  church  and  the 
world.  And  may  that  God  whose  we  are  and  whom  we  serve 
crown  the  undertaking  with  ultimate  and  glorious  success. 

In  a  note  appended  afterward  Mr.  Gaylord  says: 

This  building  for  the  preparatory  department  is  nearly  com- 
pleted, and  will  be  opened  for  the  admission  of  students  by  the 
20th  of  October,  this  year.  It  is  forty  by  twenty -six,  two  stories 
high,  with  a  cupola  in  which  is  to  be  placed  an  academy  bell, 
the  gift  of  friends  in  Cincinnati. 

Following  the  year  1859  a  combination  of  circumstances 
proved  unfortunate  to  the  college  and  town — hard  times 
caused  by  the  reverses  of  those  years,  which  brought  financial 
depression  all  over  the  country,  and  the  Indian  scare,  which 
took  away  for  a  time  nearly  all  the  principal  citizens. 

The  Indian  scare  is  known  as  the  Pawnee  war.  It  was 
begun  in  consequence  of  the  whole  tribe  leaving  their  villages 
and  camping  on  the  Elkhorn  river  near  Fontanelle,  where 
they  soon  committed  depredations  which  were  very  incon- 
venient for  the  settlers.  Many  families  left  their  homes  and 
fled  to  Fontanelle  for  safety.  Companies  were  formed  and 
the  Indians  were  pursued.  Gov.  Black  accompanied  the 
expedition,  which  was  under  the  direct  command  of  Col. 
Thayer,  now  Governor  of  Nebraska.  Some  Indians  were 
captured  and  a  very  few  killed. 

But  there  were  men  who,  during  these  three  or  four 
years,  stood  firm  in  the  midst  of  the  darkness,  and  without 
complaining,  bore  the  heav}r  burdens,  never  looking  for,  or 
expecting  any  personal  reward.  There  were  the  long  jour- 
neys to  attend  trustee  meetings,  often  and  at  all  seasons — 
the  snows  and  cold  of  winter  or  the  heat  of  summer  did  not 


EFFORTS   TO   SUSTAIN   THE    COLLEGE.  429 

hinder,  and  sometimes  the  giving  of  a  little  money  from 
private  purses,  which  were  never  heavy.  But  perhaps  these 
were  strengthened  by  being  able  to  say,  "  Surely  my  work 
is  with  the  Lord  and  my  judgment  with  my  God."  Among 
these  names  is  that  of  Deacon  Corliss,  of  Fontanelle,  who 
is  still  living.  When  there  was  no  minister  he  conducted 
services  on  the  Sabbath,  took  charge  of  the  Sabbath  school 
and  prayer  meeting,  kept  the  keys  of  the  building,  and 
sometimes  acted  as  janitor. 

In  1864  instruction  was  resumed.  Miss  A.  B.  Savage,  a 
lady  who  came  highly  recommended,  was  secured  to  take 
charge  of  the  Preparatory  and  Ladies'  Departments. 

In  1865,  a  building,  which  had  been  used  as  a  hotel,  was 
purchased  for  a  boarding  house.  This  and  block  fifty-two 
were  secured  to  the  institution  through  the  liberality  of  the 
citizens  of  Fontanelle.  Mr.  H.  E.  Brown,  of  Oberlin, 
accepted  the  position  of  Principal  of  the  Preparatory  Depart- 
ment, and  was  on  the  ground  in  the  fall  of  1865.  Just 
about  that  time  the  college  building  was  destroyed  by  fire. 
This  was  a  heavy  blow  to  both  church  and  college.  A 
portion  of  the  boarding  hall  was  fitted  for  a  school  room, 
and  in  1867  Rev.  C.  G.  Bisbee  was  appointed  Principal  with 
Miss  Sarah  Jenney  assistant.  Rev.  Mr.  Kuhlman  was 
secured  to  teach  the  German  class.  During  the  winter  term 
there  were  as  many  students  as  could  be  accommodated, 
and  all  were  greatly  encouraged. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Trustees  in  July,  the  school  was 
reported  in  a  prosperous  condition.  At  the  same  meeting 
Rev.  Mr.  Alley,  of  Weeping  Water,  brought  up  the  question 
of  removing  the  institution  to  that  place.  This  was  referred 
to  the  Executive  Committee,  who,  after  visiting  Weeping 
Water,  decided  that  Fontanelle  was  the  better  place.  The 
subject  of  relocation  was  afterwards  presented  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Foster  and  others.  In  1869  "the  citizens  again  stepped 
forward,  and  of  their  own  accord  offered  to  raise  $2,000  to 
aid  the  trustees  in  rebuilding."     They  at  once  decided  to 


430  LIFE   OF   REUBEN   GAYLORD. 

erect  a  new  building  in  place  of  the  one  that  was  burned, 
and  declared  their  wish  to  place  the  institution  on  a  catholic 
and  firm  basis.  "  This  may  be  thought  a  small  sum  when 
compared  with  donations  made  to  other  institutions  by  able 
communities,  but  when  it  is  remembered  that  it  was  taken 
from  the  hard-earned  and  scanty  incomes  of  pioneer  life, 
and  retrenched  from  its  few  comforts,  it  shows  a  greater 
degree  of  liberality  than  is  often  shown  by  any  community." 
A  building  committee  was  appointed,  plans  and  specifica- 
tions were  received,  and  the  work  begun. 

The  Trustees  authorized  the  President  of  the  Board  to 
extend  a  call  to  Rev.  S.  H.  Emery,  of  Quincy,  111.,  to  become 
President  of  the  College.  But  he  had  previously  made 
other  arrangements  and  did  not  accept. 

In  January,  1870,  the  first  story  of  the  new  building, 
30x50  feet,  was  ready  for  the  winter  term.  In  1872  this 
building  was  visited  by  an  unexpected  calamit}r.  It  was 
surmounted  by  a  heavy  cupola  and  the  upper  story  was 
not  yet  finished.  A  severe  wind,  amounting  to  something 
like  a  cyclone,  struck  the  building  and  wrenched  it  out  of 
place,  thus  rendering  it  unsafe  for  the  school.  Some  work 
was  done  toward  repairing  the  injury  and  more  was  con- 
templated. A  subscription  of  $1,500  by  the  citizens  of 
Fontanelle  was  expected  to  meet  all  indebtedness.  But  at 
a  meeting  of  the  Congregational  Association  at  Omaha  in 
1872,  the  question  of  removal  was  again  agitated,  and  a 
majority  vote  decided  to  place  the  Congregational  College 
of  Nebraska  at  Crete.  Fontanelle  was  greatly  disheartened. 
The  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  "choice  land,"  given 
on  condition  that  the  college  remain  there,  reverted  to 
the  heirs  of  Dea.  Keyes,  who  gave  it  on  these  conditions. 
Some  other  property  was  given  with  the  same  limitations. 

"Thus  for  many  years,"  says  Rev.  Mr.  Bisbee,  "efforts 
were  made  to  establish  a  Christian  college  in  Fontanelle, 
and  much  self-denying  labor  was  put  forth  for  its  success. 
Many  were  assisted  in  acquiring  an  education,  and  a  goodly 


COMMENDATORY   TRIBUTES.  431 

number  found  the  Savior.     It  did  a  good  work  in  spite  of 
great  difficulties." 

From  Rev.  Dr.  Sherrill  in  Congregational  News: 

The  above  record  from  the  pen  of  Mrs.  Reuben  Gay  lord  is 
a  valuable  contribution  to  the  earty  history  of  Christian  educa- 
tion in  Nebraska.  Few  are  now  living  who  could  tell  the  story 
as  it  is  here  done,  b}^  one  who  shared  in  all  its  chief  events.  It 
preserves  some  of  the  words,  and  shows  the  spirit,  which  always 
animated  the  heart  of  Rev.  Reuben  Gaylord,  the  acknowledged 
pioneer  of  both  educational  and  religious  work  in  this  state.  It 
should  be  counted  the  first  chapter  in  the  history,  which  here 
follows,  of  Doane  College.  Its  success  is  but  the  realizing  of 
the  ideas,  the  carrying  out  of  the  plans,  under  another  name, 
which  Mr .  Ga3dord  began  at  Fontanelle .  The  work  is  one .  The 
history  is,  and  will  be  one.  In  this  just  view  of  the  case  is 
found  another  bond  of  union  for  all  friends  of  Christian  educa- 
tion, past  and  present,  an  added  stimulus  to  help  carry  on  to 
success  and  great  usefulness  what  was  so  early  and  so  well  begun . 

From  the  Nebraska  Congregational  News: 

College  men  point  with  pleasure  to  Rev.  Reuben  Gaylord  as 
the  pioneer  college  builder  of  our  order  in  Nebraska.  Breadth 
of  mind,  scholarly  ability,  and  high  appreciation  of  the  value 
of  Christian  education  characterized  his  utterances.  He  had  an 
untiring  energy  and  a  devotion  that  knew  no  bounds .  His  motto 
might  well  be  the  student's — Forward!    Forward!    FORWARD! 

More  heroic  or  successful  service  has  rarely  been  rendered. 
That  the  institution  for  which  he  labored  so  nobly  did  not 
realize  his  expectations  was  no  fault  of  his,  and  his  efforts  were 
by  no  means  in  vain.  He  had  emphasized  the  great  principle 
of  Christian  education  and  the  work  went  on.  Yale  College 
changed  its  location,  but  it  was  the  same  institution,  whether 
at  Say  brook  or  New  Haven .  What  matters  it  where  the  college 
may  be?     The  ends  for  which  it  exists  are  the  same. 


432  LIFE  OF  REUBEN  GAYLORD. 

From  the  Hartford  Courant : 

AMONG    THE    HILLS NORFOLK. 

Norfolk  center,  with  its  meeting  house  and  green,  stands 
fourteen  hundred  feet  above  the  sea  level.  The  place  is  actually 
a  great  deal  higher  than  man}7  of  the  popular  White  mountain 
resorts.  Fortunately,  however,  the  board  is  not  so  high  as  it 
is  there.  Out  here  the  hills  are  decidedly  steeper  than  the 
prices  as  yet,  but  perhaps  time  may  equalize  things  in  this  respect. 
The  air  up  on  these  high  hills  is  deliciously  pure  and  fresh,  and 
it  is  no  wonder  that  even  in  this  cool  summer,  when  it  seems  no 
great  deprivation  to  stay  at  home,  this  place  is  really  crowded. 
The  applicants  at  the  hotels,  it  is  said,  have  far  exceeded  the 
number  that  could  be  accommodated ,  and  at  other  houses  the 
demand  for  rooms  far  exceeds  the  supply. 

Norfolk  is  the  highest  town  in  the  state.  That  is  another 
way  of  sa3'ing  that  it  is  nearer  heaven  than  any  other  spot  in 
Connecticut. 

There  is  a  considerable  variet}-  of  entertainment  here.  One 
can  walk,  ride,  read  or  go  fishing.  Three  ponds,  not  far  away, 
are  stocked  with  bass,  apparently  permanently.  The  most 
enjoj'able  experience  is  driving.  There  are  roads  in  every 
direction,  which  open  up  new  views  of  fresh  and  changing 
beauty,  whether  you  look  far  off  to  the  blue  and  rugged  hills 
across  the  Massachusetts  line,  or  take  a  glimpse  of  some  pictur- 
esque cultivated  valley  near  by ,  or  again  make  your  way  through 
thick  woods,  where  the  very  absence  of  sceneiy  is  itself  a  charm. 
The  golden  rod  is  now  shining  by  the  roadside,  and  along  the 
streams  the  cardinal  flower  holds  up  its  splendid  color  against 
the  rich  background  of  green.  Here  and  there,  too,  already  a 
broken  twig  on  the  maple  tree  has  put  on  its  autumn  red,  and 
the  signs  of  the  near  approach  of  fall  are  plenty.  Just  as  the 
city  becomes  least  endurable,  just  when  the  country  is  most 
beautiful  and  most  delightful,  the  return  wave  of  travel  will  set 
in ,  and  all  this  lovely  region  will  be  deserted  again .  The  few 
who  stay  over  until  October  learn  what  the  real  beauties  of  the 
country  are. 

Last  week ,  and  up  to  this  noon ,  we  have  had  fine  concerts 


NORFOLK MR.    GAYLORD'S    BIRTHPLACE.  433 

twice  a  day  in  the  park,  given  through  the  kindness  of  the  Hon. 
Robbins  Battell.  These  have  brought  a  great  many  people 
together  and  have  done  away  somewhat  with  the  greatest  dis- 
comfoi't  of  life  here — its  forced  unsociability.  When  the 
different  boarding  places  are  scattered  about,  a  mile  or  so  apart, 
it  is  difficult  for  people  to  meet  often  unless  some  common 
attraction  like  this  draws  them  all  to  one  center.  This  is  only 
an  incidental  matter,  however.  The  chief  pleasure  has  been 
supposed  to  be  in  the  music  itself,  which  was  in  every  way 
excellent.  The  whole  scene  with  its  sociable,  holiday  air, 
people  walking  idly  about  or  talking  or  reading  under  the  trees, 
children  playing  and  dancing  while  the  band  play ed ,  with  every- 
body taking  a  rest,  was  most  refreshing,  though  altogether  too 
infrequent  in  this  country.  It  had  all  the  appearance  of  a  foreign 
park  in  some  Belgian  or  German  town. 

In  the  middle  of  the  park  stands  the  soldiers'  monument, 
a  graceful  shaft  that  casts  its  shadows  all  day  on  the  lawn 
and  calls  to  the  minds  of  all  who  pass  that  way,  the  brave  fellows 
whose  names  are  cut  in  the  stone.  One  cannot  look  at  it 
unmoved ,  especially  in  the  midst  of  such  pictures  of  life  as  these 
concerts  make. 

Some  extracts  from  a  sketch  of  Norfolk,  by  S.  H.  D. : 

Norfolk  is  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  state,  on  the  line 
of  the  Connecticut  Western  railroad.  The  first  settlement  of 
the  town  was  in  1744.  The  first  church  was  erected  in  1759, 
the  second  in  1814.  *  *  *  Fine  educational  advantages 
are  afforded  by  the  Robbins  school,  built  on  the  site  of  the  old 
Robbins'  homestead.  Bald  Mountain,  the  highest  point  of  land 
in  Norfolk,  has  an  elevation  of  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  above  the  sea.  Haj'stack  Mountain,  one  thousand  six 
hundred  and  eighty  feet  above  the  sea,  commands  a  magnificent 
prospect.  A  tower  has  been  erected  on  this  mountain,  and  a 
carriage  road  constructed  to  its  summit.  The  Congregational 
church  stands  on  a  slight  eminence  facing  the  green,  which  is  a 
beautiful  place,  with  well-kept  walks,  beds  of  flowers,  and 
shaded  by  trees  of  various  kinds.     The  large  elms  partially 


434  LIFE    OF   REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

surrounding  it  are  nearly  a  century  old,  having  been  placed 
there  in  1791. 

A  sketch  of  Norfolk  would  be  incomplete  without  mention 
of  the  library  and  picture  gallery  of  Mr.  Robbins  Battell  at  his 
residence,  containing  a  fine  collection  of  paintings,  chiefly  by 
American  artists.  The  large  picture,  by  Thomas  Hovendon, 
"  Last  Moments  of  John  Brown,"  is  very  lifelike  and  pathetic. 
Standing  on  the  steps  of  the  jail,  surrounded  by  a  guard  of 
soldiers,  the  old  hero  is  stooping  to  kiss  a  little  child,  a  member 
of  the  down-trodden  race  for  whose  sake  he  died.  Most  of  the 
pictures  are  landscape  views  of  great  beauty,  seeming  almost 
like  "bits  of  nature  transferred  to  canvas."  F.  E.  Church, 
Bierstadt  and  many  other  artists  of  note,  are  represented  in  the 
collection.  Although  not  a  public  art  gallery,  people  are 
kindly  admitted  to  view  the  paintings. 

Extracts  from  an  account  of  the  dedication  of  the  Nor- 
folk Memorial  Chapel,  in  Winsted  Herald: 

The  new  chapel  at  Norfolk  was  dedicated  December  13, 
1888.  A  deed  of  the  building  and  about  one-quarter  of  an 
acre  of  land  was  presented  by  Mr.  Robbins  Battell  in  a  short 
address.  Mr.  J.  K.  Shepard  accepted  the  deed  in  behalf  of 
the  society,  after  which  addresses  were  given  by  Rev.  Dr. 
Perrin,  Rev.  Mr.  Eddy,  Rev.  Mr.  Goodenough,  and  the  pastor 
of  the  church,  Rev.  Mr.  DePeu.  The  singing  was  by  the  entire 
audience  and  was  unusually  good,  its  rich  effect  being  enhanced 
by  the  excellent  acoustic  properties  of  the  chapel.  It  is  a  beau- 
tifully proportioned  building,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  225. 
In  the  rear  of  the  audience  room  is  a  large  social  room, 
elegantly  furnished,  which,  by  means  of  sliding  doors,  can  be 
used  in  connection  with  the  chapel.  All  of  the  interior  finish 
is  of  oak.  The  style  of  the  building  is  Romanesque.  In  the 
main  room  on  each  side  are  stained  glass  windows,  and  at  the 
end  a  set  of  three  windows  of  the  same  material,  in  memory  of 
Mrs.  Urania  B.  Humphrey.  Mrs.  Humphrey  was  the  grand- 
daughter of  Rev.  Ammi  Ruhamah  Robbins,  the  first  pastor  of 
Norfolk,  and  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Joseph  Battell.     She  had  for  a 


00 


REMINISCENCES    FROM    DR.    MILLER.  435 

long  time  contemplated  the  erection  of  this  building  to  replace 
the  old  conference  room.  Work  was  commenced  during  the 
summer  of  1887.  Through  the  fresh  green  leaves  of  summer, 
through  the  brilliant  foliage  of  autumn,  from  her  window 
Mrs.  Humphrey  watched  the  progress  made  da}^  by  day.  The 
exterior  of  the  building  was  nearly  completed  as  the  last  leaves 
of  autumn  were  falling  from  the  trees.  As  gently,  as  peace- 
fully, and  as  noiselessly  as  the  fall  of  the  leaves,  Mrs.  Humphrey 
fell  asleep  in  the  Eedeemer's  arms,  on  the  19th  day  of  Novem- 
ber, in  the  year  1887.  She  did  not  live  long  enough  to  worship 
in  this,  her  earthly  temple,  but  stepped  heavenward,  to  be 
forever  with  her  Lord  in  the  celestial  temple. 

"  The  late  Rev.  Mr.  Gay  lord,"  said  Dr.  Miller  to  the  Foun- 
tain 3^esterday,  "was  the  man  who  brought  Sunday  across  the 
Missouri  River.     It  was  in  1855  that  he  came  to  Omaha." 

"Mr.  Gay  lord  was  a  Congregationalist,"  continued  the 
Doctor,  "  and  the  first  Congregational  pastor  in  Omaha.  At 
that  time  I  had  some  connection  with  the  church,  and  later 
was  chairman  of  a  building  committee.  A  }roung  carpenter, 
who  was  exceedingly  modest,  applied  for  the  job  of  building 
our  church.  "Who  do  you  think  it  was  ?  It  was  James  E.  Boyd, 
since  become  one  of  the  wealthiest  citizens  in  Nebraska.  Just 
see  what  changes  have  taken  place.  Now,  the  Congregationalists 
have,  I  suppose,  half  a  dozen  churches  in  Omaha,  and  the  parent 
church  occupies  an  edifice  which  cost  $75,000,  and  in  it  there 
may  be  seen  a  beautiful  memorial  window  to  Rev.  Gay  lord,  now 
in  his  grave.  Into  the  pulpit  of  this  church  there  has  just 
been  called  a  preacher  of  national  reputation — Dr.  Duryea — 
whose  ability  and  eloquence  have  made  him  a  power  in  the  land. 
This  change  has  all  occurred  since  I  came  to  Omaha,  and  it 
began  when  Mr.  Gay  lord  brought  Sunday  here." — Omaha 
Herald. 

As  an  instance  of  the  respect  accorded  Mr.  Gay  lord  by  all 
classes  of  people  in  Omaha,  Bishop  O'Gorman,  Catholic  bishop 
of  Nebraska,  sent  him  a  kind  note,  containing  five  dollars,  on 
the  evening  of  his  silver  wedding. 

In    1868-69    Prof.  Cowles,  of    Oberlin,  sent  to  him  many 


436  LIFE    OP    REUBEN    GAYLORD. 

volumes  of  his  "Minor  Prophets,"  for  distribution  among 
home  missionaries.  His  generous  liberality  in  donating 
these  valuable  books  was  greatly  appreciated  by  those  who 
received  them,  and  Mr.  Gay  lord  experienced  much  pleasure  in 
disposing  of  them  amongst  his  brethren . 

During  the  all  day  ride,  going  and  returning,  to  attend 
trustee  meetings  at  Fontanelle,  our  conversation  was  much  about 
the  college .  ' '  When  I  am  in  the  spirit  land , "  he  said ,  ' '  this 
college  will  send  out  heralds  of  the  Gospel  to  supplement  my 
feeble  work  now." — Prof.  Kellom. 

Through  the  liberality  of  Mr.  Doane  and  others,  Doane 
College,  at  Crete,  is  to-da}-  what  Mr.  Gaylord  labored  and 
prayed  for.  In  this  sense,  Fontanelle  College  was  not  a  failure; 
its  location  only  is  changed. — Prof.  Kellom. 

"  The  great  west  owes  a  debt  of  deep  and  lasting  gratitude 
to  those  ministers  who  began  in  youth,  and  spent  their  lives 
even  to  old  age  in  laying  the  foundations  of  our  Christian 
religion  deep,  broad  and  strong,  ever  with  Jesus  Christ 
Himself  as  the  chief  corner-stone." 

Mr.  Gaylord's  attachment  to  the  Congregational  faith 
and  polity  grew  stronger  with  the  lapse  of  years,  as  he  saw 
its  practical  and  beneficent  workings  in  the  western  fields, 
in  communities  composed  of  professing  Christians,  who  had 
come  from  different  parts  of  the  country,  unlike  in  their 
religious  training,  and  in  everything  but  love  to  God.  The 
Congregational  idea  was  so  simple,  so  free  from  intricacies, 
that  it  could  be  easily  understood  by  all.  It  gave  each  one 
an  interest  in  the  church  because  all  had  a  voice  in  its 
counsels  and  a  work  to  do.  Each  church  being  by  itself  a 
little  republic  is  in  harmony  with  our  republican  govern- 
ment— a  government  founded  upon  religious  life,  religious 
liberty,  and  equality  before  God.  Then,  he  saw  that  our 
Congregational  churches,  almost  without  excejittion,  were 
on  the  right  side  in  regard  to  all  the  great  moral  questions 
of  the  day. 


CLOSING   THOUGHTS.  437 

But  he  was  not  lacking  in  Christian  friendship  and 
brotherly  love  toward  other  denominations,  and  was  very- 
careful  not  to  encroach  upon  their  rights.  Rev.  Mr.  Frost, 
a  Methodist  brother,  said  of  him:  "Mr.  Gaylord  was  no 
proselyter,  but  kept  a  sharp  lookout  for  those  who  belonged 
to  him."  We  think  his  love  and  respect  for  the  pastors  and 
members  of  other  churches  was  reciprocated  by  them. 

He  lived  to  see  a  very  encouraging  growth  of  Congrega- 
tionalism in  the  two  states  of  his  adoption.  Could  he  have 
looked  out  upon  Iowa  in  1889,  he  would  have  seen  the  one 
church  in  existence  in  Denmark,  in  1838,  multiplied  to  261, 
the  number  of  ministers  to  231,  and  the  membership  to  a 
goodly  company  of  21,986.  In  Nebraska,  the  mother  church 
in  Omaha,  which  came  into  being  in  May,  1856,  could 
report  an  interesting  family  of  167  churches,  cared  for  by 
149  ministers,  and  the  nine  members  (truly  "a  little  one"), 
instead  of  becoming  "one  thousand,"  grown  to  a  membership 
of  8,537  persons. 

But  the  great  objects  for  which  Mr.  Gaylord  lived  and 
labored  were,  to  "  win  souls  to  Christ,"  and  to  help  the 
churches  grow  in  spiritual  life  and  in  power  and  influence 
for  all  that  was  holy  and  good.  To  these,  he  gave  thought, 
and  prayer  and  work,  devoting  his  best  energies  to  their 
accomplishment  all  along  the  years,  until  the  final  end. 
In  his  "supreme  loyalty  to  Christ,"  the  reward  never  seemed 
to  be  in  his  thought,  but — how  he  could  best  serve  the  cause 
he  loved.  His  desires  and  aims  might  have  been  expressed 
in  these  words  of  the  poet : 

"I  ask  no  heaven  till  earth  be  thine, 
Nor  glory  crown,  while  work  of  mine 

Eemaineth  here; 
When  earth  shall  shine  among  the  stars, 
Her  sins  wiped  out,  her  captives  free, 
Her  voice  a  music  unto  Thee, 
For  crown,  new  work  give  thou  to  me, 

Lord,  here  am  I." 


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